Blood bonds
by Tsuyu ryu
Summary: Even if they are not real relatives, the Cullens love each other as family, but how it begun? This is the story of the Cullen family, from Carlisle's transformation to the last members' arrival... a family united by love, not by blood...
1. Chapter 1

_**Yes! I'm back! **__**Writing the hardest fic I've ever wrote! Lol… hope you like it!**_

"Rebirth"

**Carlisle POV**

**London 1663**

I looked at the torches with disgust.

I couldn't believe I was doing this. Mi father, the pastor of the town's church, had forced me to do it again. I couldn't blame him; he was old now, and couldn't do it by himself but… how could he order that to me? His son?

Ever since I can recall, my father and some of the townspeople had devoted their lives to hunt and kill the supernatural creatures that –supposedly- threatened the citizens. I had seen more than once the fire burning and heard the massacre, without even knowing if they were right. After all, were the victims really vampires? Couldn't they have escaped if they were? I'd always felt bad about it, but my father couldn't understand; to him, they were monsters, devils, and had to be destroyed to save the souls of the people. When I turned 18, he started to include me on his hunting trips… and now here I was, 23 years old, tied to a duty I didn't want, forced to kill creatures I doubted were monsters.

"Carlisle… someone saw one of them near here. We should go" one of the men said to me. I couldn't remember his name; I refused to be part of their group, so I tended to forget such things.

"Alright" I answered, reluctant. I hated to kill, no matter the creature. How could I end a life? Especially after my father's teachings, saying we all were creatures of God… I sighed, and followed the rest of the men.

The streets were empty. No one dared to go out once we believed a creature was nearby. Suddenly, I heard something… a 'man' appeared on the streets, screaming words in Latin. Then he ran away.

"We should divide. If you find one of them, give a signal!" I said, trying to sound detached and serious. The men nodded.

A while later, I was running in one of the dark streets with two other men. I grabbed a torch in my right hand, and a small bell on my left… if I found anything, I would make it sound to call for help. I was trembling slightly; despite all the years, it was difficult for me to do this. Again I though about my father, and the way he'd forced me to become this… he never knew all the times I had awoken in the night, haunted by nightmares about the kill… hearing the screams and seeing the bodies burn mercilessly while the town looked pleased.

I felt nauseated by it all. After all, people shouldn't feel happy for other creature's deaths. People shouldn't watch a living creature burn with a smile on their faces; it was wrong, it was sick to feel it… how couldn't they see it?

But the thing I feared the most was the uncertainty. My father and the rest of the town normally received a report from anyone who had seen a vampire, but never tried to investigate the facts. ANY person could say he or she had seen one and we'll hunt it… but what if they weren't vampires? What if the witness only wanted to dispose of an unpleasant neighbor or a rival? Not even my father could assure with total certainty the captured person was a vampire, so how could we be sure? We could be killing normal humans, mere citizens affected by other people's assumptions or evilness, and that made us murderers… no better than the criminals on prison, no better than the monsters we supposedly hunted down. Was I a killer? Was I?

I kept thinking in all this while running. It was always the same; why couldn't I just shake the remorse and doubt? That way at least I wouldn't feel so bad. Mi mother had said to me once that my compassion was a blessing and a curse, and I believed her. After all, no one seemed to feel as bad for this as I did.

I was distracted by a movement in an alley. My heart stopped, fearful; the movement had seemed faster than any human, _unnatural_. I wondered if, after all, my father was right… I approached the alley slowly, careful not to be heard. I grabbed the bell with such strength it hurt, and held the torch high to see. The men waited for me outside. It was empty, no creature was there. Sighing in relief, I relaxed and turned to leave, but what I saw then paralyzed me.

Someone was standing in front of me. The torch allowed me to see his face: the man was beautiful, but seemed sick; he had big black lines under his eyes and wore a long black robe. I wondered if he was lost.

"You scared me! Are you lost, sir? Can I…?" I started, but stopped once I saw him more clearly… he had red eyes. I backed away a little, but knew there was no use; I was in a blind alley. The man (if he was a man) approached with such speed I couldn't see him. In a second, he pressed me against the wall, growling softly. The torch fell from my hand, while I tried desperately to fight him, to make him release me.

It was then when he bit me. I felt his teeth traversing the skin of my neck, and felt his urgent lips moving across the wound, drinking my blood. This was a vampire… my father had been right. I felt the unbearable pain in my body, and panicked. I knew I was going to die here, and I prayed for death, at least that way the pain would stop. But something was wrong; the vampire seemed to be unsteady, as if he really was sick. In a moment, he seemed to hear something, and stopped. I was screaming in pain, I couldn't help it… all my body hurt, burned as if I was on fire; was this what those poor creatures had felt when my father burned them?

The vampire released me. I fell heavily on the ground, writhing in agony. I saw with difficulty as the vampire escaped, leaving the alley… I saw the bodies of the men that were with me, then a small group of men following him. I wanted to scream again, but I had no voice. The vampire had injured me badly: my neck was bleeding profusely, and I could feel the marks of his teeth in my arms and my chest… I hadn't even realized he had bitten me so many times. It hurt so much to breathe, and I felt pain in my legs… he probably had broken my bones.

I realized with horror what was happening. I have heard it a lot. He hadn't killed me, but his poison was in me… was I going to become one of them? Or was I dying? I thought about my father, my mother… if I returned to them changed, would I kill them? Most important, would _they_ kill _me_? I realized with shock that they would; I would be a stranger for them, not their son anymore. I was afraid; I didn't want to die.

I was vaguely aware of footsteps coming closer… how could I hear them? Surely, they were the men, searching for me. I was sure they'll kill me if they found me like this. I had to escape.

I crawled painfully along the alley, searching for a place to hide. Each movement was agony, each breath was pain; I could see the trail of blood I left with each movement, but I finally found something: there was a small door there, and wasn't locked. I tried to stand up to open it, but the pain stopped me; with an effort, I managed to push the door open. I practically fell through the small stairs until I stopped, breathing heavily.

I noticed I was in a small basement; I could smell the rusted vegetables with unusual strength. I felt afraid… but the pain got worse. I suppressed a scream, fearful it would alert the men of my presence. I moved near a pile of rusted potatoes, and couldn't move anymore.

I didn't know how much time passed… the pain was too much for me, I couldn't think of anything worse. I barely managed to suppress my screams of agony, for I knew my survival depended on it. I remained there, writhing and twisting in pain, waiting for death to release me from this suffering… until, finally, it started to disappear.

When I was released from the pain, I stood up slowly, trying to assess my wounds. I realized with terror –and awe- there wasn't any. It was as if, during my delirious state, they had miraculously healed. But then I knew who I was, what I was… I had become a vampire, the same creature my father so fervently hunted down. I didn't know how to feel about it. A part of me was disgusted, terrified at my new self, but other part was confused. I felt no difference in my mind, was I really a monster? I found a piece of crystal near me, and looked at my own image in it: my skin was white, my eyes red… I launched the crystal away, scared at my own image. I realized with shock that now I could see clearly in darkness, and that I could heard even the slightest sound… my senses were more sensitive, reacting to the faintest smell, to the softest touch.

I opened the door slowly, noticing my new speed and agility, and looked outside. It was dark. I stepped out, so slowly my steps couldn't be heard by the humans. I looked at the moon, feeling a strange sensation in my throat… it ached fiercely, as if it was on fire. I noticed a small trace of my own blood, still there on the floor. The aching increased when I smelled it, the sweetest smell I'd ever felt. Without thinking, I kneeled and licked the trace… sadly, it was only a stain. But I realized what I was doing, and stopped; I knew then that the aching was thirst, and that I was doomed to feed from blood to survive. I refused to believe it, but there was the proof… I had behaved like a vampire, desperate to drink blood. I smelled people nearby, and the smell was worse. I barely contained my instincts… I was so hungry… but no, I couldn't live like this. If I had to kill myself to prevent it, I'll do it.

I started to run away from the town, trying to protect the people from me. I ran so fast I thought I was flying; my new vampire strength allowed me to do so.

My last thought was that my family would be ashamed of me… the family I would probably kill, the family I couldn't see anymore…

_**Alright! First chapter and Carlisle's transformation!!! How was it? I researched a little to be accurate with dates and events, hope **__**it's alright…**_

_**Poor Carlisle!!!! Feel so bad for him… I hope you liked this ;)**_

_**By the way, sor**__**ry about any mistake you may find here… mi editor is missing, so I updated this without any review… if someone wants to help with that, just pm me.**_

_**See you!**_

_**Tsuyu ryu**_


	2. Alternatives

"Alternatives"

**Carlisle POV**

**Two weeks later**

I didn't know what to do anymore. My first option was to kill myself, to avoid becoming a killer, but so far I wasn't succeeding with it.

My first attempt had been the easiest. I'd tried to drink poison, but the moment I did it, felt nothing but disgust at the flavor (like dirt) and the need to throw it up, but never made an effect on me.

My second attempt was cruel, but I was desperate. I stole a knife from one of the villagers. I remember I barely could refrain from attacking him… then, when I was in the forest again, I tried everything: I tried to cut my arms, to stab my chest, but nothing worked. I saw with horror, despair –and hidden awe- how the blade broke at the contact with my body, how it turned to pieces with the impact. This was not possible… was I really immortal? Was I doomed to live like this forever? The thought scared me, but I refused to give up.

My third attempt was as useless as the previous. I fell from high cliffs, from the ceilings of various buildings… and each time, I stood up without even a scratch on my now white skin. The rocks with which I crashed broke with the impact without hurting me, and the floor beneath cracked when my body crashed, but I was not injured. My despair increased.

I thought for a moment in the way my father destroyed the monsters: he burned them, or tried to dismember them. I shuddered at the mere memory of it. I didn't have the courage to be that cruel, even if I hated this life. I still remembered the agony of my turning, and was afraid of feeling pain again. Besides, how could I dismember my own body? Or most important, ¿how could I cut my head when nothing could hurt me?

I lost count of the times I'd tried to end my life in this two weeks, each effort frustrated by my new strength, but that was not the worst of it. The aching in my throat increased with each passing day, burning me like fire, urging me to kill, to drink blood, but I refused. That gave me an idea: if nothing exterior could harm me, then maybe I could starve to death…

**Two days later**

I had to be strong. I had to resist.

I was determined. These two days had been hard, harder than I had expected. I felt my body weaken each second, and even on the distance I could smell the humans at the village. More than once, I had been about to run towards them… but I managed to refrain, growling –yes, growling- in frustration and hunger.

I felt desperate when I thought it had only been two days. Suddenly, I smelled something: a man was in the forest. My body tensed, my throat ached fiercely… I ran towards him, oblivious to my own ideas, and stopped near him. He was looking at the opposite side, and hadn't heard me coming… an easy prey… I awoke from my frenzy when I relized what was I thinking: prey? He was NOT a prey, he was a human being, a person who had family and friends… I grabbed the branch of a tree, struggling to control myself.

The man turned, exposing his neck slightly. The thirst increased, to a point were it was agony. It was as if he was trying to tempt me. It hurt so much… the branch broke under my fingers. The man heard the sound and turned, scared. I ran away before he could see me.

Once I was far from him, I stooped, strangely tired. I assumed that, as with humans, the lack of blood was weakening me, but that was good. Maybe I could die, after all… if I managed to starve.

**A week later**

This was not working. On the contrary, it made my 'life' even harder.

When I'd decided not to eat, I thought it would eventually mean my death, but I was wrong. I was weakened, almost crazy with thirst, but I was not dying. Now I was not capable of visiting the town anymore… each time I did it, I smelled the people's scents, I heard their hearts pumping blood to their bodies; I could almost taste them near me. Each time the burning sensation increased even more, and my instincts almost took control of my body.

I couldn't stand it. I had to run away from them. I ran deep inside the forest, trying to forget what I was, what I needed to live.

I lost track of time. I became a savage creature, blinded by weakness and hunger. More than once I'd been about to give up, to surrender and follow my instincts, but then I remembered the people down there. They didn't deserve to die so that I could continue with this strange existence. My days became daily battles; as I grew weaker, it was harder to resist the desire…

One day, I was sitting behind a rock near a stream. I was so weak now I could barely move or think coherently; the thirst was unbearable, I was about to give up, but I smelled _them_. I heard their steps approaching the river, heard their hearts beating in their chests, the blood flowing inside them, and I couldn't resist.

With a growl, I charged towards them. My new speed allowed me to hunt them without any trouble, despite my state. I didn't even look at them, while mi teeth pierced their necks and drank their blood. I felt their bodies under my hands, tensed, moving frantically to escape. But I was blind, the vampire in me had taken over my mind, and I didn't stop until all of them laid death at my feet.

I closed my eyes, terrified at what I'd find if I looked. I breathed slowly, trying to calm down, without opening my eyes. It was then when I realized the scent was different… it was not at all similar to the villagers'. I opened my eyes slowly, ready to face my crime, but what I saw was not what I'd expected.

The bodies of seven deer laid in front of me, all of them drained. I'd been so weak and hungry that I hadn't realized they were animals and not humans. This gave me hope. I could live like this; I could satiate my thirst with the local prey instead of killing people. After all, I'd eaten deer before, when I was human, and this was not different.

But if I could live, what would I do? I could not return to my family, and I couldn't meet any friend either. I was alone.

"But I'm not the only one…" I said to myself. It was true. There were others like me out there. Maybe, if I searched for them, I could find some company that shared my value for human life. With that thought in mind, I started my journey.

_**Another chapter ready! How was it? It's hard to write as Carlisle… but I hope it doesn't sound so bad. Maybe you think I jumped too much from date to date? But I had to, because my story is (or will be) focused on the way the Cullens met and gathered, so I can't spend so much time with only Carlisle ;)**_

_**I know, short one… but I couldn't help it. My muse refused to give more details, and I think that forcing it so that I can have longer chapters will only ruin them, so… hope you don't mind much (sorry!!!!)**_

_**Hope you're liking this!**_


	3. Traveling

"Traveling"

**30 years later**

I was a little disappointed.

I'd been traveling for over thirty years, searching for more of my kind. The most curious problem had been the money… after making sure I could be near humans, I started working to gain some money for my journeys. Soon enough, I realized I didn't need it precisely for that (I could travel by foot, after all…). So, instead of that, I tried to use my money in something I liked and hadn't been able to do: in there 30 years, I'd satisfied my wish for knowledge and education, something I would never had achieved in my native land. I'd always wanted to be a doctor… but how could I work as such when the mere sight of blood could risk my patients? Of course, now I had more control over my thirst, and was able to stay near humans without attacking them… but it was not enough for that. It was hard, but it offered me an opportunity to talk and share with other people; it was a relief from my loneliness.

But not all was better. The search for other vampires had resulted in disappointment. I had found many groups of them –covens, as they called them- all across my country, but they were so different from me I hardly could stay with them. Most of them were nomads, moving from one place to the other to avoid detection, and felt clearly uncomfortable at my idea of establishing for a long period of time, faking to be human; even worse, they drank human blood without regrets, and I always ended up arguing with them. They never understood my ideal to preserve human life, and saw me as a stranger. Maybe I was. I could not hunt like them, and my option never pleased them… for them animals were a last resource, and weren't as tasty as humans. Normally, disgusted by their thoughts, I left soon.

Now here I was, watching the ocean, wondering if there was someone out there who could really understand me. The moon shone brightly over me, but I was so depressed I didn't care. Suddenly, I heard footsteps near me. Instinctively, I turned and crouched. I didn't like to fight, but I'd found some hostile vampires and I knew I had to defend myself. However, this one seemed peaceful enough; he looked at me with surprise.

"Sorry, I don't want to fight. I didn't know this territory was yours" he said. I relaxed a little.

"It's not my territory. I'm just passing by… and I'll leave soon" I said. The other vampire looked at me with awe; he seemed impressed by my refined clothes. I couldn't blame him; the ones he was wearing were old and ragged. I noticed his black eyes too; he was hungry.

"Are you hunting?" he asked me.

"No. I don't feed here" I answered, reluctant to admit I didn't hunt humans. I didn't want to start an argument… after all, it was not common to be able to talk with one of my own. "¿And you?" I asked suddenly worried. If he got caught, I'd have trouble too.

"No… I'm not that stupid" he said, and shuddered. Why? He saw my expression, and laughed.

"I've seen how they punish the ones that expose us. If I hunt here, the humans would suspect, and I'll surely die" he said. At first I thought he was referring to a hunting group of humans, just like the one I used to direct… until I noticed he had said 'expose us'.

"What?" I asked, confused. The only creature who could feel exposure as a threat was a vampire.

"Don't you know? Didn't your sire explain it to you?" he asked. My sire?

"The one who turned me disappeared after doing so. I've been on my own" I said, still unsure if I should have said it. The other vampire shook his head.

"So bad… I'm surprised you managed to learn on your own" he said, surprised.

"So… who are you talking about?" I asked, curious.

"The Volturi, of course. Our 'royal family' if you want to see them like that" he explained. "It is said they live in Italy, and usually kill the vampires who are a threat to our secret existence. You know, like new ones that can't control, or old ones who massacre in an obvious way" he continued.

"They live in Italy?" I asked, unable to conceal my hopes. It seemed they were more civilized. The vampire nodded.

"So they say, in a city named Volterra… I still can't understand how they can do it without rising suspicion" he added. That was it; I had to go to Volterra, maybe there I'll find more like me. I started to walk away.

"Hey! Are you going so soon?" the other vampire asked. I smiled at him.

"Yes. I have some things to do… thank you for the information, though. It is very useful to me" I said.

"Well… alright. I would have enjoyed the company. I suppose I should be going too, my group is waiting for me to 'clear the way'. We need to feed" he said. I realized he was still trying to guess if it would offend me. I nodded.

"Well, good luck" I said. After all, I could not change their minds, but I still felt sorry for the future victims.

"Yes. You take care too…" he said, and disappeared in the opposite direction.

I looked at the sea, but with a different state of mind. What I had learned showed me there were other vampires out there. This Volturi coven seemed intriguing, and was apparently more refined than the vampires I'd found. The vampire had mentioned them with a strange tone, as if he wasn't sure if they were real… but there was a chance they were. I made a decision: I'd go to Italy, to Volterra, to see if the rumors were true. And if they were, maybe I would finally find a place to live peacefully.

Besides, I _wished_ to study medicine despite the troubles it could represent – after all, now I had endless time- and the best schools were in Italy. With new resolve on my mind, I jumped towards the sea, and started to swim towards France.

I lost count of time as I moved quickly in the sea. Thanks to my nature, I could swim for hours without getting tired and, most important, without air. I'd never done something like this before, but my new resolve provided me an unusual burst of energy.

I didn't know how much it took for me to arrive to the other side but, once I found the shore, I felt relieved. I was not exactly tired, of course, but I could feel a little weak; in all that time, I didn't feed, so I considered that normal. I made sure to come out during the night to avoid being seen by humans… finally, I was in France. Normally, I would have been excited to see the city, but now I had another objective in mind: Italy.

If the Volturi were real, I was sure they'll find me there.

_**I know, I can hear you: another short chapter!!!**__** /sigh/ I couldn't help it… but I promise that the next ones will be larger, ok?**_

_**Next chapter I'll have an encounter with the Volturi (argh!!! Even more difficult!!!) **_

_**By the way, ignore the other vampire… it was there just to tell Carlisle about the Volturi. And yes, I don't know exactly if his meeting with Aro was coincidence or he knew in advance something about them… let's just pretend he did know a little (thanks to my gossipy vampire lol)**_

_**And again, sorry about any grammar mistake… I still can't find my editor /sigh/**_


	4. The Volturi

"The Volturi"

**Carlisle POV**

**Volterra 1720**

It was morning in the city of Volterra. Finally, I had arrived to the place where –according to that unknown vampire- the most important coven of our race lived.

I walked slowly, careful not to disturb anyone… not that there where many people to disturb at this hour. Most humans were still sleeping in their houses, unaware of my presence there. So far I hadn't found any other vampire here; I was starting to think it was just a rumor, but then I saw something.

A woman, obviously human, was walking by the street. There was already sun out there, so I remained in the shadows… but she saw me, and seemed to guess what I was. Her eyes showed panic, and she started to walk faster. I was confused; in the shadows there was no way she could have suspected anything, but then I realized she wasn't looking at me.

Some other men, with heavy black robes, were approaching. I walked slowly, pretending I didn't see them; they followed me. Soon, I saw more of them at my sides… I moved faster, but I couldn't run right now –that would expose me-. I entered a blind alley, shuddering slightly at the odd similarities with the fateful day of my transformation. The robed figures entered too, and approached me with superhuman speed. They were vampires, and had me surrounded. I raised my hands, trying to show I was no threat to them.

"I'm sorry. I mean you no harm; please let me go my way… I promise that I won't disturb you" I said with a calm voice. One of the vampires, apparently the leader, took a step towards me.

"Vampires are not allowed to walk by day here. Our master prohibits it" he said.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again" I promised. The vampire shook his head.

"No… because you'll come with us" he added. The rest of the group crouched, prepared to attack if I resisted. But I didn't like to fight. I nodded for them to take me.

Minutes later, I was in a round dark chamber. For any human, it would have been impossible to see, but I was aware of three figures sitting on chairs at the other side. Now I was afraid; I didn't want to die, and didn't know exactly why they had brought me here. When they moved towards me, I instinctively tensed, taking a step back.

"Don't be afraid. We just want to talk" one of them said. He had red eyes and long black hair, and seemed very old. The two behind him sighed.

"Who are you?" I asked with respect. I had the feeling they were important. The vampire smiled warmly at me.

"My name is Aro… and these are my brothers: Marcus –he signaled the other black haired vampire- and Caius –the vampire with white hair-. We are the leaders of the Volturi coven" he added. So the vampire had been right, the Volturi existed. "But tell me, what's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen" I answered immediately. The vampire, Aro, smiled and offered me a white hand, which I took. The moment I did it, Aro closed his eyes; in what seemed like hours to me, he never let go of my hand. Finally, he released me, obviously satisfied and… surprised?

"That's incredible! I have never met someone who had learned control on his own! Don't you think its amazing Caius? Marcus?" he said cheerfully, looking at the other vampires. Both sighed, apparently annoyed by Aro's enthusiasm. I didn't know how to answer that.

"How…?" I said, unable to stop. Aro smiled.

"I can read anyone's thoughts just by touching them. And you're a very interesting vampire, I must say. I certainly would enjoy hearing your story" Aro said.

"It's a long story" I said, confused.

"All of ours are. I'd really love if you stay for a while… I'd like to hear your, hum, philosophy" Aro said. His brothers looked at him in awe.

"But… no offense to Carlisle, he has no special gift for us" Marcus said.

"He's right, Aro. He's not useful for us" Caius added. Aro made a dismissive gesture with the hand.

"Don't you think his control is more than unique? Aren't you curious about his 'diet'?" Aro asked them. Caius and Marcus looked at each other, then at me. Since I feed only with animals, my eyes were golden instead of red, something they evidently found fascinating. Both nodded slightly. Aro clapped his hands in joy.

"It is decided then. Would you be our guest, Carlisle?" Aro asked. I didn't know what to say; they barely knew me, and Aro was offering me to stay? Despite my doubts, I was as intrigued by them as Aro was with me.

"Thank you very much. I'd feel glad to accept" I said.

After that moment, I lived with them. It was fascinating. Unlike other vampires I'd known, they lived permanently in a place, just like I did, and were certainly more refined and cult than any other vampire Id' met. They studied and read books, and knew almost everything about anything. They told me everything they knew about our race, explained all about us. I told them about my turning and my life until then, and exposed my reasons for my 'unusual diet', as Marcus called it.

Aro encouraged me to study medicine once he heard my previous desire to do it. Surprisingly enough, he found a night course for me, and was obviously fascinated by my self control during classes. He usually asked me each day to touch my hand, so he could see what I saw. Caius and Marcus were not as enthusiastic about me –they were still wondering what Aro saw in me- but were not rude or cold to me. My studies continued; soon I was doing practices with corpses, something that increased even more Aro's fascination. He couldn't understand how I could stand in front of a class full of human blood –and human classmates- without loosing control. I explained to him many times that it was simply because I respected human life so much to destroy it, but my logic seemed strange to him. He and the other members of the Volturi saw humans as tools, as mere food, and couldn't understand my reticence to kill them.

In fact, that was the main problem. Each time we had to eat, Aro and the others would ask me to join them, and started arguing when I refused. They said to me this was what we were, and that there was no point in trying to change it. I, on the other hand, exposed to them my ideals about human life, and showed them it was possible to live with animal blood. Each time the issue ended in a heated discussion, for none of us was willing to reason with the other. They always tried to force me to drink human blood, but other than that, I lived in peace there… until I saw something that made me sick.

It was night. Aro had asked me to join him at the round chamber, where I knew they fed. I didn't want to go, but it seemed important, so I ignored my instincts and went there. Once I entered, I knew I should have left.

There was a massacre going on inside. I heard screams and whimpers from the humans as the Volturi drank their blood. The smell was unbearable; I felt the natural burning sensation, and felt venom in my mouth, but refused to be part of the hunt. At the center, Caius held something, and Marcus made a signal for me to approach. When I did, I noticed a woman was kneeling in front of Caius, her face twisted in horror.

"For you, Carlisle" Caius said. I looked at him, terrified.

"You can't hide you're hungry, Carlisle. Why resist?" Marcus said, signaling a wound in the woman's neck.

"You're a vampire… you shouldn't deny what you are. Drink" Caius said to me, dragging the girl closer. For a moment, I wanted to obey; the blood was so tempting… but I took a step back, repulsed.

"No! It doesn't have to be like this! I don't want to be like this!" I said. My entire body was shaking, tensed to attack, to eat… but my will and my faith were stronger. I turned and ran.

"Carlisle!" I heard Aro's voice, but I didn't turn back.

An hour later, I was packing my things to leave. My medicine studies had finished, so I had no reasons to stay longer. I couldn't stand their way of life. Suddenly, Aro entered my room.

"So… you're finally leaving?" he asked, calm. Now his strange attitude didn't bother me, I knew him.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Aro… I just can't…" I said. After all, he'd helped me, and I felt bad for leaving like this. He smiled as if he counted on it.

"I told Caius you were strong, that you'd never surrender" he said. I approached and grabbed his hand.

"Thank you, Aro. You helped me a lot in all these years; I'd never be able to repay your kindness to me" I said. He smiled.

"You're welcome, Carlisle. I enjoyed your company very much… if you want to return again, you know were to find me" Aro said. He then searched in his clothes and pulled a small bag. He placed it on my hand.

"What…?" I asked, feeling the weight of coins inside.

"Just in case you need it. Good bye, my friend" Aro said, and leaved.

I stood there, shocked, still holding the bag in my hand. Despite my aversion to their diet, I couldn't hate them; they'd been my company for many years, and had treated me with kindness. I felt bad for leaving, but I knew it was the best… at this rate, we'll end up fighting if I stayed; or worse, they'll force me to eat like they did. I couldn't renounce to my principles, so I had to follow my own path.

My last thought when I leaved Volterra was that maybe, out there, I could find someone who shared my ideals.

_**I know, I can hear you… so little Volturi, so resumed, but hey! This is about the Cullens, and I can't spend so much time with the Vol**__**turi… ;)By the way, Aro and the others are not too present in the book series, so I had no base for their characters, or for the way they met Carlisle, so I invented some things… hope they don't sound so bad Un.n**_

_**Next chapter we'll start seeing some of the members of Carlisle's family… but be patient. Its not easy to resume 300 years of life, don't you think? Lol.**_

_**Next one, we'll see the first encounter between Carlisle and Esme (when she was 16) argh!!! Difficult!**_


	5. Casual encounter

_**Forgive meee!!! I should have posted this long ago, but Christmas, guests and other things stopped me… **__**I'm sorry!!!**_

"Casual encounter"

**Carlisle POV**

**Ohio 1911**

It was a cloudy day, perfect for me.

I walked slowly by the streets, enjoying the soft breeze of the afternoon. While I moved, I thought about the strange course my life had taken ever since leaving Aro's group. The first ad most important improvement was my control... after 200 years of suffering and effort, I finally could stay near blood without even feeling the aching in my throat. It had been difficult, but worthy. Thanks to Aro's help, I'd been able to study medicine with the best teachers in Italy and now, thanks to my control, I'd been able to practice the work I adored without any trouble. Thanks to my enhanced senses, I could feel and hear many things no other doctor could, and that way I could heal people no one else could. It made me feel so good; it made me think I was making a difference.

In the six years I've been living here, I'd helped a lot of people who would have died otherwise. For the first time I felt whole, satisfied with my nature; in a way, I felt I had the duty to help others with my supernatural abilities, and that thought always gave me peace.

A couple passed near me, waving their hands to greet me. I returned the gesture with a mixture of happiness and relief. I had gained quite a reputation here –thanks to my job as doctor- and people always saluted me with kindness and even admiration. I couldn't help but feel strange by it; after all, 200 years before they would have suspected about me, but those times were long gone. Humans now thought of us as fantasy, as myth, and that allowed me to live among them without worries. However, it was still strange to see them so comfortable near me, without even thinking I was a vampire. My thoughts were interrupted by a young girl.

"Good morning, Dr. Cullen. Do you want some apple? My mom bought it especially for you" the girl said, giving me a small basket full of red apples. I looked at her warmly.

"Thank you very much. Tell your mother I really appreciate the gesture" I said, and took the basket. Of course, that was all it was: a gesture. I couldn't eat anything they gave to me, but I had to fake I did –something disgusting, but necessary to keep the façade-. Besides, they never let me refuse, so now I simply took it and thanked them… it was a nice detail, after all. The girl smiled at me, a little blushed, and left.

I watched a clock nearby: 6 pm. Maybe I should return to the clinic; I had enjoyed walking by the streets during the day –a rare pleasure, considering I usually worked at night-, and it was better if I didn't tempt my luck. If the sun came out, I'd be in trouble. But, when I was close to my destination, a scream of agony stopped me; it seemed to come from the park nearby. Forgetting my cautions, I rushed towards it.

**Esme POV**

It hurt so much.

How could I be so silly? I should have known better than to run like I did. I was not very agile, and certainly the grass and my heeled shoes were not a good combination. Now here I was, screaming in pain, lying on the soft grass while my friend tried in vain to help me. It hurt so much; my leg was probably broken… it must have hit against the rock I saw before I fell.

"Esme! Calm down! Does it hurt so much?" my friend, Amanda, kept repeating, but I couldn't answer… I felt I was about to faint. Suddenly, I heard another voice. A man's voice.

"What happened?" the voice asked, and I was forced to raise my head. It was such a seductive, attractive voice… and angel.

"She fell… I think she hit hard against that rock" Amanda said, doubtful. But, for a reason I didn't know, I felt safe.

"Don't worry. I'm a doctor. I work at the clinic near here" the man said. Thank God… a doctor. He looked at me, and I did the same, mesmerized. He was handsome; more than handsome, he was beautiful… his golden hair, his amazingly white skin, his intense golden eyes… I've never met someone like him before. To my embarrassment, I blushed intently.

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Esme… Esme Platt" I answered. He smiled at me, and I nearly fainted, but not because of the pain.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Carlisle Cullen. If you don't mind, Miss Platt, I'll have to carry you… it seems you've broken your leg" he said with that seductive voice. I simply nodded, still dazzled by his beauty. Without any apparent effort, he lifted me in his arms, and took me to the clinic.

**Carlisle POV**

I've never seen such a beautiful creature in my long life.

After treating her leg –which was indeed broken-, I gave her some sedatives to calm the pain, and she was now sleeping comfortably in one of the clinic´s beds. I didn't know why, but I stayed there, looking at her while she slept… something I couldn't do.

I watched her intently. Her golden hair, her warm heart-shaped face… she was beautiful, an angel. What was her name? Oh, yes, Esme. Even within my race, I've never met someone with a face like hers; it was pure and tender, so sweet I was sure it could melt any man's heart. Even I, who was no man at all, felt like that. She stirred, and I instinctively moved away… I was sure she wouldn't like me to stare at her like that.

"Dr. Cullen?" she asked. I turned to see her with a smile on my face. What was wrong with me?

"I see you're awake, Miss Platt" I said to her, approaching slowly. She blushed; of course, to humans we were beautiful, a weapon my race used to hunt.

"Is something wrong? Are you alright?" she asked, concerned by my sudden sadness. Even if she didn't know me, I heard a sincere worry on her voice. So kind, concerning about me when we barely knew each other. So sweet.

"No, I'm sorry. I was just thinking" I answered. She looked at me.

"Are you sure? If something bothers you, you can tell me… it helps when you talk to someone else" she said. She was definitively sweet and tender, but I couldn't say anything to her… and I realized with shock that I _wanted_ to.

"I'm fine, really, Miss Platt. But you're the patient here… how are you feeling? Much better I hope" I said, trying to change the subject. She smiled, the most beautiful smiled I'd seen in centuries.

"Yes, I feel much better now. Thank you, Dr. Cullen" she said.

"Please, call me Carlisle" I said in an impulse. This was wrong… the less she knew the better. What was I doing?

"Alright… Carlisle" she said. My name in her sweet voice sounded so good… but this was wrong, totally wrong! I couldn't be feeling like this, it was not allowed.

Before I could make a coherent excuse to leave, the door opened. Her family rushed inside, desperate to know if she was fine. Her father was certainly frantic.

"She's fine, Mr. Pratt. Just a few weeks of rest and she's be totally recovered" I assured the poor man. In an impulse, he grabbed my hand. I saw as his eyes opened in surprise, but he said nothing. He probably thought it was just product of his altered nerves, but it was my signal to leave. I made a signal to Esme to say goodbye, and she nodded. I thought I saw regret there, as if she didn't want me to leave… but no, it couldn't be, right?

A month later, I left the city. Despite my recently found feelings, I never saw Esme again. Another doctor took care of her. I wanted to see her, so badly it wasn't coherent, but I refrained. After all, who was I? What good could come out of this? I was a vampire… I could never be with someone like her.

In that moment, I felt sad. I realized what I'd really lost that fateful day… my chances to have a family, to love and be loved, were gone with my mortality. I could never find love in a woman, I could never have children with her; I'd always wanted to have a family, but until then I'd never given it so much thought… until now. Briefly, I imagined what could have been if I were human: I saw Esme at my side, laughing with me while our children played in the garden… it tore at my heart, for I knew now that I'll never have that. I was doomed to be alone, forever.

**Esme POV**

I shouldn't be running like this, but I couldn't help it. I HAD to see him.

Dr. Malcolm said Carlisle was leaving, and I had to say goodbye to him. I didn't know why it affected me so much; we barely talked, we were practically strangers, but I felt _something_ when I was with him. When he treated me I felt his sudden sadness, and I wished to erase it from his heart… so silly of me, to fall in love with a man I'd only seen once. But he was so kind and gentle; I've never met someone like him.

I arrived at the clinic, but I was too late: he was gone, and I would never see him again.

But deep in my heart, I denied those words. Something told me I would see him again… maybe, this had not been a casual encounter.

Maybe, someday, he'll return to me.

_**Awww!!! I luv this one!!! The first encounter between Carlisle and his future wife!! **__**(lucky Esme)… I hope I could represent them faitfully here. **__**By the way, if you noticed Carlisle acts a little… different in the previous chapters, I'll explain: he's younger, so I imagined he would act somewhat different; but now, after 200 years (wow!) he's more like the Carlisle we know (and loveee!!! :P) hope you liked this!**_

_**And next chapter, what you all have been waiting for… Edward!!! (come on, we all know you've been waiting for it! lol)**_

_**Thanks for reading! ;)**_

_**Again, sorry about any mistake… I still can't find my editor /sigh/**_


	6. Edward

"Edward"

**Carlisle POV**

**Chicago, 1918**

I watched the clock with impatience. It was in times like this when I cursed the light and the day.

There was an epidemic of Spanish flu in the city, and each minute people died. How could I be forced to wait an entire day to work? Each second I stayed here, hidden from the sun, more and more people fell. I was desperate, frustrated by my own limitations; as a vampire, I was more sensitive than the rest, and I knew I could save more lives than any doctor… but I was forced to wait until the sun disappeared.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to me –no pun intended- I was able to go out. I almost ran to the hospital… I think I did, oblivious to the fact my speed would be unnatural to people. I was so desperate to help.

I arrived at the hospital, where one of the doctors greeted me with relief, evidently tired.

"Thank god, Carlisle! We need help… I believed you wouldn't come today" he said, relieved. How could I NOT come?

"I know. I'm really sorry… I wish I could be here all day" I said, sincerely. But of course, he laughed at what he thought was a joke.

"We all do, but no one can stay up all day. We need to rest" he said. That was exactly what frustrated me: I didn't need to rest, I could do it all day, but that would expose me. I sighed, and prepared to start my shift.

The first thing I did was checking the worst cases. Most of the people there were so weak and sick they barely noticed my strange check-up (I even smelled them). Some of my patients were dying, I knew that, and it pained me when I could do nothing but watch. There was one, however, that I felt strangely attached to. Her name was Elizabeth Masen; her husband had died a few days ago, and she was very ill herself, but all her concern was about her only son… what was his name? Edward.

I approached Elizabeth's bed, and saw the signs of death in her face. I knew she wouldn't survive long. Her son was in a bed next to her, and seemed even worse. I took her hand to check her pulse; luckily, the fever hid my abnormal coldness. Sadly, I realized there was nothing I could do for her… I doubted she survived the night. I felt so sorry for her and her family; it was sad to see a family destroyed like this. Elizabeth remained there, her eyes closed, her expression of pain and suffering making me sad. Even with my experience, I couldn't help her.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and grabbed my hand fiercely. I was shocked; if she could hold me like this, maybe she'll survive.

"Ms. Masen?" I asked, but she didn't listen to my voice. She looked at me with such determination, hope and energy I shuddered.

"Save him!" she pleaded me. Save him? Oh, yes: her son. Even now, at the verge of death, she was worrying about him… a mother's love.

"I'll do what I can" I promised her, taking her hand in mines. She kept staring at me.

"Yes, do it. Even what others can't do… that's what you must do for my Edward" she said, her voice full of hope. Her words surprised me and scared me. Did she know what I was? Or was it only a coincidence? But before I could ask her more, her hand loosened and fell over the bed. She was unconscious.

When I returned and hour later, she had died. Her face still showed the worry for her son. With sadness, I focused on him. I placed a wet cloth on his forehead, in a futile attempt to cool his increasing fever. The poor boy was dying too, I could feel it: he thrashed constantly in his delirious sleep, and was pale and weak. I could hear his labored breathing, the inconstant beating of his heart, the way he murmured incoherently. I thought about Elizabeth's words… she had begged me to save him but, what could I do? It was obvious he'll die soon. Was there any option?

'_Even what others can't do…'_ I remembered her words, and I realized there WAS something I could do, but I was unsure. I hadn't chosen this life; could I be capable of stealing this boy's life? Was that what his mother wanted? Would she approve if it meant to save him?

I didn't know what to do. For centuries, I'd played in my mind with the idea of creating a partner for me. I was so alone; I was tired of faking, of showing everyone a face that was not entirely mine. I wanted to share my real thoughts with someone, and I wanted someone to truly know me, without any hidden secrets. But every time, my conscience had stopped me: I couldn't do it; I couldn't turn someone just for my selfish wish.

But this was different. He didn't have anyone left. Like me, he was alone. I looked at him: he was quite handsome; I was sure that, if he lived, he could have any girl he wanted. But I saw something more important on his face… he looked so pure, so kind. I imagined again my little fantasy from so many years ago, when I'd met that beautiful girl. If I could have children, I would have loved if they looked like him. There was something on Edward's face that showed me he was a kind soul, one that was worth saving.

"Please… make it stop…" he murmured, feverish and tired. I was resolved; I would save him.

I waited until all doctors were out of the room. Since the place was destined for the people who had no hopes of survival, there were not many of my colleagues there. Once I was alone, I took Edward in my arms. I was sure no one would notice; he was alone, and very ill; they'd probably assume he'd died. Careful not to move him too much, I went out by a window.

I ran at vampire speed towards my home. I felt Edward's body tremble in my arms; he won't last much. His fever was rising even more, and he was having trouble breathing. When I arrived, his heart was about to stop. I placed him carefully over my couch –since I didn't have a bed- and stopped, unsure of what I should do. He moaned softly.

I realized until then that I really didn't know how to turn him. My memories of that day were vivid, but I was not aware of what had been the decisive movement. What had the vampire done to turn me? The key was in the bite, or in the wounds? Edward moaned again; I had to hurry, he was too weak to resist any longer. I had no option… I would repeat my injuries from that time, and hope it would be enough.

I approached Edward, who kept moving weakly in the couch. I doubted; I wasn't that cruel, I couldn't hurt him that much. But it was necessary. With a sigh, I started.

It was the most difficult and painful thing I'd done. I broke his bones, tore at his flesh, trying not to think of the pain I was inflicting. Edward screamed and moaned in pain, moving weakly in an attempt to escape his torturer, _me_. Finally, I grabbed his head and bit his neck; he screamed even more… when I finished, I felt so bad for him I almost killed him to avoid further suffering. But I noticed a change: beneath the screams and his agonic thrashing, I detected his smell was different, and his skin was changing before my eyes. It was working.

I grew worried when the pain continued –and seemed to increase- during the day. I did everything I could to ease it, but so far it wasn't working. It pained me to see Edward writhe in pain, or to hear him scream. Was this normal? When I'd been turned, I'd lost count of time… maybe it took more than one day for the process to complete. I grabbed his hand, still a little feverish, and tried to offer some comfort. I whispered soothing words to his ear, but I didn't know if he heard me.

On the third day, he seemed to improve. He wasn't screaming anymore, and remained still on the couch. My worry became relief as I smelled his scent: it was not human anymore. His skin was now as white as mine, and he seemed finally calm. I approached him, hearing the soft rhythm of his heart, getting fainter each second… until it stopped. I tensed, waiting for a signal, but Edward remained still. I wondered if he'd been transformed, or the pain had finally killed him. Suddenly, his chest rose; he was breathing –a habit I still had, for there was no real need for air-. Edward opened his eyes, and I knew I had succeeded: they were red.

"Where… where am I?" he asked with a soft, velvet voice. I smiled warmly at him, trying not to scare him.

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen… you're in my house" I answered him. He immediately stood up, and seemed amazed by his own speed.

"My father, my mother… what happened to them?" he asked frantically. This would be hard.

"I'm sorry…" I said. He looked at me, terrified. It was as if he had read my mind.

"But I… I feel strange" he said, more to himself than to me. Well, this was the most difficult thing to explain.

"Your mother, before she died, begged me to save you… so I did" I said, reluctant to give him more details about exactly _what_ was he now. Edward looked at me, shocked; but I hadn't say anything wrong… why did he seem so… scared?

"What am I?" he asked. Now I was shocked; how could he have guessed? I sighed, preparing for the hardest part.

"You were dying, and I saved you in the only way I could… you're a vampire" I answered.

_**Yay! Edward Cullen is here!!! Lol. I hope you'd liked this, I'm still deciding if I like it or not…**_

_**And I'm not sure if Elizabeth's dialogue is accurate… I read that part of the story in Spanish, so I don't know how it was like in English. Hope its somewhat similar :P**_

_**And poor Carlisle, imagine when he finds out exactly WHY Edward seemed to know… until next chapter! ;)**_


	7. Mind reader

"Mind reader"

**Carlisle POV**

I spent the next hours explaining Edward what he was, and all I knew about our 'kind'. At first I'd been afraid that he would feel angry or disgusted by my actions but, surprisingly enough for a 17 year-old boy, he seemed to understand clearly. He was really intelligent and mature for his age. He listened without interruption to my story, and made questions once I'd finished. Despite my uneasiness, I felt happy… it was the first time in many years that I could talk freely to someone. When I finished, Edward sighed and looked at the front, apparently immerse in his own thoughts. I saw as he suddenly placed a hand over his throat, and I recognized the sign at once: he was thirsty.

'_Does your throat ache?'_ I thought to myself, watching him. If it was, he was handling it very well… but what happened next surprised me even more.

"Yes, it hurts… is this normal?" Edward asked, without looking at me. I was shocked; he couldn't hear my thoughts… could he?

"I'm sorry… what did you say?" I asked. Maybe I was just imagining things. Edward looked at me as if I'd made a stupid question.

"You asked me if my throat hurt, and I said that it does… why?" he said slowly. I watched at him, wide-eyed.

"Edward… I didn't say anything" I explained, calm. He seemed scared.

"Yes you did… you asked…" he said, but I shook my head. Aro had showed me there were some of us who had special abilities, but I never imagined I could create one. I sighed.

"No, Edward. I just thought the question, but never said it out loud" I said. He looked at me, shocked.

"You mean that I… heard what you thought?" he asked, scared. I tried to be as calm as possible to comfort him. Surely, this was difficult to him.

"Yes. I guess so" I answered. He sighed. _'I'm thinking now, can you hear it?'_ I thought. Edward raised his head almost immediately.

"Yes, I heard it" he answered. "But… why?" he added.

I explained then what I'd learned from Aro and the Volturi. I told him that there were some vampires who could develop some special gifts. Edward listened attentively while I explained it all.

"Do you have one?" he asked. I shook my head. "Why? Why me?" he asked then.

"No one knows why it happens, Edward. But don't be scared, I'm sure you'll get used to it" I said. He was about to say something, but winced and placed a hand on his neck again. "We'll talk about it later… first, you need to eat" I said. I saw as Edward tensed, a look of terror and disgust on his face. I felt attached to him; he was as averse at killing humans as I was…. This was good, for it meant he could live like I did more willingly.

"You mean… kill?" he asked, doubtful. I smiled at him.

"Don't worry, Edward. I'm not like other vampires" I said. I thought about my usual diet, and he of course was able to understand. With a signal, we both went out.

It was the first time Edward went out as a vampire. I saw as he looked at everything with awe, sensing it all with his new senses. However, his look had a melancholic trace, as if he clearly understood what he'd lost. Not to far from us, I heard the sound of a piano. Edward immediately moved towards it, apparently mesmerized. It was until then that I realized I barely knew him… did his father play? Did he like it? I approached him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you like the music?" I asked.

"I used to play the piano. My mother liked it very much" he answered with sadness. "I guess I can't do that now" he added.

"Don't say that. You can play anytime you want. There's nothing that could stop you" I said, trying to make him feel better. He smiled sadly.

"I don't have a…" he started, but stopped abruptly when a man passed near us. Edward's body tensed again, but this time I felt urgency; he was ready to kill. He moved at amazing speed towards the man, and I barely grabbed him before he could go. I put my arms around him when he tried to free himself from my grasp. I dragged him quickly towards a blind alley, while he growled and moved frantically to escape.

"Calm down, Edward! You must control it, I know you can! I know you won't hurt anyone!" I said to him. He stopped, as if I'd just awoken him from sleep.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen, I… I don't know what happened" he said, breathing heavily. I released him, but remained alert in case he lost control again.

"Don't worry. It happens to us all… with time, you'll learn to control it" I said. I saw as he looked at me, analyzing my thoughts. When he seemed satisfied with them, I guided him towards the forest.

Once there, I smelled a deer nearby. I noticed Edward smelled it too. I nodded, and he ran after his prey, letting his instincts take over his mind. In a matter of seconds, he jumped over the animal and bit his neck. I just looked at him, in case he needed help, but so far he was doing it all by himself. While I watched him drink the deer, I thought about it; I barely knew him, and he was in the same situation. I wondered if it was cruel of me to keep him by my side, maybe he wanted to go on alone. I knew I had to give him the choice, no matter how happy his company made me… he had to choose his path. But another thought, even more difficult to handle, appeared in my mind: did he hated me? He hadn't been cold or distant to me but, what if he hated what I'd done?

"I don't hate you, Dr. Cullen" Edward said, looking at me. I had forgotten he could read my thoughts. I smiled without humor. "Really, I feel… grateful, I think. I was suffering, and you saved me… no matter how hard this is, I can't hate you. You're kind" he added. His words made me feel relieved, but I still had to give him the choice.

"Thank you, Edward… you don't know how much those words mean to me" I said. He smiled for the first time, warmly, sincerely. I would miss him, even if I'd been with him only for a short time.

"Miss me?" he asked. Again, he had read my thoughts. This was a little annoying. "Sorry" he said.

"Don't be… is just that I'm not used to it" I said. After all, it wasn't his fault; he couldn't control it. "Listen, Edward… I saved you, but don't feel obligated to stay with me. I know you're young, and probably want to take a different path. You need to make a choice" I said. I kept thinking of my own choices: my passion for medicine, my devotion for human life… what had kept me away from other vampires, even Aro. It was not an easy life, maybe he'll want to choose his own style. But he kept smiling at me, and I saw curiosity in his eyes.

"You help humans?" he asked, obviously amazed. I detected –with a hidden pleasure- admiration in his tone. I nodded. He avoided my gaze.

"I don't want to be a monster. What I heard in your mind is… admirable. When you told me what I was, I thought I was doomed, but you're different… I want to live like you do, Dr. Cullen. To be able to learn and help others" Edward said. I was amazed; the boy was really mature and, most important, seemed to understand my ideas. I smiled at him.

"If you wish so… I'll be glad to have you as my companion" I said. _'After more than a hundred years of solitude…'_ I thought, and I regretted it; Edward looked at me, shocked.

"More than a hundred years?" he asked. I nodded again.

"Yes… I've been alone for quite a while" I said. I saw as the sky cleared a bit; the sun was coming out, and we had to hide. "Come, Edward. We need to return… no one must see us under the sun" I explained. He was immediately at my side.

"Alright, Dr. Cullen" Edward said.

"Please, call me Carlisle" I said.

"Carlisle… how are we going to explain my presence in your house?" Edward asked. It was easy, but I wondered briefly if he'd like it.

"Well, if you don't oppose, I can say you're my brother" I said. He nodded.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen… I'll have to memorize it" he said; I think I heard a sudden sadness in his voice. "Why can't we go out in the sun?" he asked. I smiled and thought about it; Edward was shocked.

While we walked, we both continued talking. I asked him about his life and his family, what he liked and disliked, everything I wanted to know. He, on the other hand, kept asking about my life as a doctor, and how could I handle the blood in my patients without loosing control. It felt so good to talk like this: no secrets, no omissions, just the truth… for the first time, I was _me_, not some perfectly placed mask of normality. Finally, I had someone by my side that could really know me, one with which I could share all my thoughts and experiences as a vampire.

For the first time in over a century, I was not alone.

_**Yay! Now we have Edward here! Maybe you noticed he sounds kinda… different. Well, here Edward is 17, not over 80, so he should act more like his age here, don't you think? And about Carlisle, I think that Edward wouldn't be mad at him… he can read the sincerity in his mind; in the Twilight saga, he always shows admiration and gratitude towards Carlisle (besides loving him as a father… but that comes later ;)) so I guess he took his transformation with more maturity.**_

_**Hope you liked this… the next one we'll have Esme! **_


	8. Miracle

"Miracle"

**EPOV**

**Ashland, 1921**

I heard Carlisle's footsteps inside the house we shared.

It had been 3 years since he'd saved me from death. Since my 'rebirth' I had managed to control not only my unusual ability to read people's minds, but also my thirst. I was not as good as Carlisle, of course, but now I was able to go out and be near people without attacking. This not only allowed me to be out in the streets –I had been forced to remain inside the house before- but also to satisfy my wish: I wanted to study, to learn. I guess Carlisle was a good influence for me; when I was human, I'd been more interested in other things, but now I had the time, the resources and, most important, the desire to learn. I even wanted to study medicine, just like him, but I doubted I had that self control; after all, it was hard enough to be locked with a group of humans inside a classroom every day during my classes.

I admired Carlisle deeply. He was so kind and moral, so warm and sincere, that he made me feel like part of his family. I enjoyed talking with him, and learned a lot from his wisdom and experiences. Recently, I'd been about to call him 'father' more than once… I wondered if that was fine. I hadn't forgotten my real father, but I felt so attached to Carlisle I started seeing him as that. Since when? I didn't know.

I kept thinking in this while I approached the house. After a hard day of school –I had decided to start my studies here- it was good to be at home again. When I entered, Carlisle's steps stopped. His thoughts were strange: nervous, anxious… excited? I tried to read more, but he kept reciting the different names of the human bones. He was trying to hide something, but what? Curious, I approached the living room.

"Hi, Edward. How was your class?" Carlisle greeted me warmly. I smiled; he was good at hiding things from me.

"Fine… each day is easier" I answered. He was blocking my view of the living room, but I caught a glimpse of something there… something big.

"I bought something for you… a birthday present, if you want to see it like that" he said to me, smiling. A present for me? Without waiting for my answer, he led he way inside the living room, and I saw it: there, near the window, was a piano. How long had been since I'd played? I was out of words.

"I know you like to play, but we never had the opportunity to have one. I guessed you'd like to regain the habit" Carlisle said, looking at me intently. I still had nothing to say… this was more, far more, than I deserved.

I approached the piano, touching it with my fingers, mesmerized. Playing had been my greatest pleasure in my human life and, no matter how interested I was in school, I missed it. I didn't know Carlisle knew me so well. I looked at him, full of gratitude.

"Well? What do you think?" he asked. I laughed nervously, like a child.

"It's great! Thank you very much fath- Carlisle" I answered, almost screaming in delight. It was until seconds later that I realized I'd been about to say 'father' again… I wondered if he'd feel uncomfortable by it. His thoughts suddenly changed; he felt touched. I guess he noticed what I'd been about to say.

'_Father?'_ "Is that how you see me, Edward?" he asked me. I doubted; his tone was kind, but I was so confused… how could I feel like this in only 3 years?

"I… I'm not sure. I'm very fond of you, Carlisle, and sometimes yes, I see you as that, but I feel bad. I still remember my father, and I…" I started, but he interrupted.

"You should never feel shame of your feelings, Edward. To love me as a father doesn't mean you don't love your real father anymore. We've lived together for quite a while, and you're very young. It's normal" Carlisle said, calm as always. But his mind was different.

'_Of course, I feel flattered, and very touched. Honestly, I…'_ he stopped his thoughts, but I saw it on his head: he'd started to see me as a son, too. Now I felt touched… I hadn't considered myself special in any way, and I was certainly in no way a perfect man, how had I gained such a strong affection from Carlisle? I'd given nothing to deserve his fatherly love. Carlisle kept staring at me, this time uncomfortable… he knew I'd read him.

"Sorry… father" I said, enjoying the opportunity to say the word out loud for the first time.

"Don't be, you heard nothing wrong… son" he said, evidently as happy as I was. It felt good to hear him say it… maybe he was right, and I could love him as a father without betraying my true parent's love. We both smiled softly, pleased by this new sense of family between us.

'_I'd always wanted a family, you know?'_ "But I never thought I could have it" he added, softly. I smiled. "Why don't you play something?" he asked me. Instantly, I sat in front of the piano, and played, surprised at how easily I could do it now, with my new speed. I played a song that wasn't entirely classical: I was adding my own notes and style once in a while.

Carlisle was behind me, listening. My father was listening.

**CarlislePOV**

I remained behind Edward as he played, and I felt I'd made the right choice. He looked so peaceful and happy while he played the piano; I should have done this sooner. I recognized 'Clair de Lune' of Debussy, but I noticed Edward –willingly or not- was adding extra notes… could he write songs? He was so modest he probably felt bad mentioning it to me; in fact I didn't know he was this good at playing.

But it was not the only thing that surprised me about Edward. In this short period of time, I had started thinking about him as the son I never had, but I never imagined he could feel the same about me. I thought he'd feel insulted or angry by it; on the contrary, he had admitted he saw me as a father… I couldn't hide my happiness. My dreams about a family had been only that, dreams, for over 300 years… and now, without planning it, I had one. No matter the origins, Edward was my son, and I was delighted to discover we could be a family after all.

When Edward finished, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know you were this good" I said. He cleared his throat, embarrassed.

"I'm not that good…" he said. In these 3 years of knowing him, I had come to realize he was too modest, blind to his own virtues.

"I have three centuries of experience to judge" I said, hitting him playfully. He laughed. Outside, the sun was coming down… my signal to start my night shift at the hospital. After saying good bye to Edward –my adoptive _son_… I liked the sound of it- I left, unaware of what I would find there.

The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by one of my colleagues.

"Good night, Carlisle… can you do me a favor? A corpse has just arrived, and I was assigned to do the autopsy. Could you help me? I have to go early" he asked me. I nodded, and he immediately led me towards the morgue. We both stopped near a figure, hidden by a white blanket.

"It's a woman… she fell from a cliff or something" the doctor said, but I was not paying attention. I heard something, but I couldn't quite recognize what it was. He then uncovered the figure, and I had to suppress the urge to scream… I knew her. She was Esme Platt.

My heart sank at the image. She'd been the first one to touch my heart, the one who awoke my desire for a family and a home, and here she was: death, cold… how could life be so unfair with her? She'd been the tenderest and most loving creature I'd ever seen, she couldn't deserve this.

"Carlisle? Is something wrong?" the doctor asked me. I realized I'd been paralyzed, and he had noticed my tension.

"No, I just…" I said but stopped, finally recognizing the sound I heard. Weak, unsteady, but there it was: a heartbeat. She was still alive. How was it possible? She'd fell from a cliff, hadn't she? Were humans supposed to survive that?

"Carlisle?" the doctor repeated. I had to make him leave… I couldn't explain now how I knew she was alive.

"Ernest… if you want, I can do it alone. That way you can arrive to your appointment" I said, praying he would accept.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and I nodded. "Well, thank you! I'll repay you someday… you saved my life, Carlisle" he said, happy. I laughed softly at his words. He shook my hand effusively, and practically ran outside.

Once I was alone, I examined my options. Esme was alive, but barely; I doubted she could survive the night. If I alerted the other doctors, she would die anyways, for there was nothing they could do for her. I wondered what she would like me to do… I'd done it once, for Edward, could I do it twice? I remembered our brief encounter, years ago; I still held those memories, and the sudden love I felt for her appeared again. It was selfish, I know, to wish for her to live forever just so I could not loose her but… was this correct? Yes, I thought, I could save her.

There was not much time. If I waited any longer, her heart would stop. I took her in my arms, and escaped through a window –again-. I had to be very careful this time, since there were still a lot of people outside, but I managed to arrive home without being detected. Edward, of course, was already waiting for me. He surely had heard my frantic thoughts before I arrived.

"Carlisle! What…?" he asked, looking at Esme.

"She was in the morgue, but she's alive… I can't let her die" I simply said. Edward said nothing, for he read everything inside my mind, and simply waited for me to say anything more.

"Help me prepare a bed for her… I'm going to do it" I said, resolved. He did as I told him, and I placed her gently over the blankets. Her heart was still beating. Good.

'_Please, Esme… live'_ I thought before sinking my teeth on her neck.

_**Esmee!!! Lucky Esmee!!! Well, another member added to the Cullen family lol. I know, its probably such a short time for Edward to think of Carlisle as a father, but I felt that after all, who wouldn't love Carlisle?? :P, hope it doesn't sound too… quick.**__** Personally, I like to think of it that way. And yes… he HAD to give Edward a piano!! lol**_

_**It has been a while since I wrote from Edward's POV, it's nice to hear him again! I hope it sounds like him lol.**_

_**Next chapter… vampire Esme!! Imagine how you would feel if, instead of dying, you awake and see Carlisle in front of you!!! /drooling/**_

_**Thank you!**_


	9. An angel

"An angel"

**EsmePOV**

**Three days later**

I awoke to a soft music.

The first thing I remembered was the pain of my loss. My poor baby, dead at such a young age, unable to live or to love. Then I remembered the cliff; I had wished to die, for my existence had no meaning without my child, but here I was, apparently alive. I was so confused; what had happened? I should be dead, I knew that… but then I remembered.

I had felt something: pain. I remembered then the horrible agony I'd endured during all this time… a fire that burned my entire body. I had screamed for mercy, I had begged for death, but instead of that I heard a voice soothing me. I knew that voice, a part of my mind felt immediately safe after hearing it, but I couldn't recall any face. The voice had apologized, and had promised it would all end soon… it had sounded so sad that I wished to say I was fine, but I couldn't; I think I felt a hand touching mine, trying to offer comfort.

Now, the pain was gone. I felt strange, as if I was not the same… and the music, it sounded so loud… I moved slowly, trying to open my eyes. When I did, the most incredible image was waiting in front of me.

It couldn't be, but here he was… an angel with golden hair and eyes, a man with a seductive and kind voice… I remembered him. He was the doctor who had treated me, many years ago. I had searched him for so long, until I resigned and continued my life. But I'd never forgotten him, my first love and my perfect man. But it couldn't be… he looked exactly the same, how was it possible? He was looking at me intently, and I realized his eyes were not as I remembered them: they were red. I stood up quickly, and gasped at my own speed. What was wrong?

"Are you… are you Carlisle Cullen?" I asked, doubtful. He smiled sadly, and nodded. "But… you look exactly the same… how could it be?" I said. The music near us increased, as if trying to block our voices.

"Esme…" he said. I shuddered at the tone he used. My name on his lips had sounded so good… I couldn't believe my feelings. I hadn't seen him for 10 years! How could my feelings be that strong still for a stranger?

I heard as he explained to me what had happened and what I was now. He apologized for choosing this life for me, and comforted me when I told him about my lost child. I didn't know what to think… I knew I should be angry, or at least sad, but I felt nothing except gratitude. He had saved me twice, no matter the circumstances. And, deep inside me, I felt happiness despite my loss; finally, I had found my angel again.

"Esme? Do you have something to say?" he asked, sad. I realized he expected me to hate him. How silly of him; didn't he noticed the way I looked at him? I felt the urge to erase the sadness from his face again.

"Thank you… for saving me again" I whispered. He looked at me, confused.

"Aren't you angry? You wished death, but now I forced you to live forever. I…" he said, but stopped in shame. I took his hand, and I felt it tense; that hurt…

"No… you know? At the last moment, I regretted my choice, but I knew it was too late. My child…" I said, and my voice broke. Carlisle sighed, as if he understood my pain.

"I'm really sorry about that, but I'm sure of one thing: your child wouldn't want you to die… no child wishes that for a mother. I'm sure he'll want you to live, to go on" he said. Such wise words, but it still hurt. "Of course, if you want to go on your way…" he added, and I felt terrified. I had missed him for so long… and now I had found him again, no matter what he was. I wanted to stay with him.

"No… please, I want to stay" I said. He smiled in relief. He took my hand courteously, helping me to stand.

"Then come… there's someone I'd like you to meet" he said, and guided me towards the living room.

A boy was there, playing the piano. So this was the music I heard.

"Edward?" Carlisle said, and the boy stopped to see us. "I'd like you to meet Esme" he continued.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Esme" the boy named Edward said politely, reaching to kiss my hand. I couldn't stop looking at him; he was so handsome, and his eyes showed so much kindness… he reminded me of my lost child; he was the kind of person I had imagined my son would become. Suddenly, his eyes showed sadness… as if he could read my thoughts.

"I can" he said. I stepped back, a little scared, but I regretted it when I saw that hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry…" I said. Edward shook his head.

"Don't be. My gift is not common… is normal to feel scared" he said. Carlisle then approached.

"Esme will be living with us… I hope you two can get along" he said. Edward smiled kindly at me, and I couldn't help returning the smile. I guess my motherly instincts took over.

"I'll leave you two alone" Edward said, looking mysteriously at Carlisle.

Once he left, Carlisle and I were sitting in a couch. But I couldn't forget Edward.

"Why did he left? Did I do something wrong?" I asked, apprehensive. Carlisle laughed softly.

"Of course not. He just went out to… feed" he answered. I gasped softly, remembering that, as a vampire, I would be forced to drink human blood. Carlisle noticed my discomfort, and shook his head.

"No, we don't hunt humans… only animals" he assured me. The idea of that slender boy hunting an animal was so strange; it was impossible to imagine.

"Is he your son?" I asked, interested, and a little sad. Maybe he had a family. He said no again.

"Vampires can't have children" he said. That hurt; I couldn't have children? "But yes, in a sense he is my son" he said.

"How old is he?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Carlisle raised and eyebrow, apparently deciding how to answer.

"He was 17 when I changed him, three years ago. Despite his appearance, he's 20 now" he answered. But Edward looked so young… not at all like a man of 20 years old. I looked at Carlisle, curious. Then how old was HE?

"And you?" I asked. He got nervous; it was obvious he didn't want to answer that.

"I… I'm 281. I was 23 when I was turned" he said, reluctant. I gasped; 281?! That was impossible! I saw the sadness return to his eyes, and felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that, it's just… well, it's not common" I said. I realized until then that my throat was hurting. He noticed it too.

"We can talk later. Right now, you need to feed" he said. Taking my hand, he led me to the forest.

I felt embarrassed. The touch of his hand sent shivers to my body, just like the sound of his voice. I wondered if he noticed… if he did, he was kind enough not to tell me. I couldn't help but watch him intently, my mind racing. For a moment, I thought I had really died and was in heaven, but his touch was so real to be the case. The only thing I could think of, as he led me through the forest, was that I had found him again. The man of my dreams was in front of me again…

This time, I couldn't let him escape.

_**I know… a short chapter, but I couldn't help it! My brain refused to think more of it. Besides, I'm already thinking about Carlisle's proposal (yay!)**_

_**Anyways, hope you'd liked this one… as short as it is lol. Now to write next one!**_


	10. Proposal

"Proposal"

**CarlislePOV**

**1922**

Each passing day, I wondered how Esme felt.

Her control was improving fast, but that was not what worried me. My main concern was my feelings; ever since I met her, I had fallen in love with her, but I hadn't realized it was that strong until now. I enjoyed her company very much, in a different way I enjoyed Edward's. My idealized version of her had been confirmed the first moment we spoke. She was so tender and loving that no one would believe she was a vampire; I found myself totally in love with Esme, despite the little time she'd been with us.

It amazed me how she treated Edward. Despite he was perfectly capable of tending himself, Esme always helped him… every time he went out to study, she made sure he was appropriately dressed, caressing his hair softly to try and comb it –a lost battle-, and was very loving to him. I thought Edward would feel annoyed, but he seemed even pleased; I guess it was good for him to have a motherly figure.

"You should tell her" Edward told me. I forgot he was 'listening' all my thoughts.

"I'm not sure yet" I said, a little unsure. How funny; I had over 2 centuries of existence and _Edward_ was giving me advice on this?

"I'd told you she's happy… you should tell her" he repeated, annoyed.

I understood why. I'd asked Edward many times to read her mind, to know if she was happy with her new life. I must admit Edward was already annoyed by it all. The poor boy had assured me more than once that she was happy now. He had been quite insistent about my feelings, saying I should simply tell her. I wondered if he'd seen something on Esme's mind that made him so confident. He was right, though; I had let her go once, and life had placed her with me again. I couldn't waste time.

"Edward… can I ask you a favor?" I asked, but Edward was already nodding with a pleasant smile. He'd seen what I wanted.

----------------

It was night already. I had made sure Edward took Esme away, so I could prepare for the moment. Now, all I had to do was waiting until they arrive. I was sure that, if my heart was beating, it would be doing so frantically. I hadn't been this nervous before… did human men felt the same?

But that was not my only concern. I loved Esme deeply, but I was not sure if she felt the same way. What if she rejected me? My only relief was Edward's apparent confidence; he wouldn't have advised me this if he wasn't sure she felt the same. But Edward was a good liar; he could be faking, after all.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door. They had arrived. I rushed to the door to see them. Esme seemed calm, but Edward still held that satisfied smile. He approached me slowly, and I felt as he placed something on my pocket, then winked at me. I smiled, nodding slightly. _'Thank you, Edward… did she notice anything?'_ I thought; his ability was quite useful right now.

"I'll go to the living room" he said, but shook his head slightly. I smiled again.

Esme kept staring at us with curiosity. She had noticed we were acting strange. I smiled at her.

"How was it, Esme?" I asked her, trying to distract her. She smiled back.

"Fine… each time is easier" she answered. "Is something wrong, Carlisle? You and Edward seem… different" she added. I approached her, taking her hand in mine. I felt –with pleasure- that she liked my touch.

"Come, Esme. I'd like to talk to you" I said, and led her towards the living room.

I heard her gasp in surprise when we entered, an effect I had hoped. I had placed candles all over the room; their light illuminated the scenery just slightly, allowing her to see the roses I'd placed for her all over the room. I guided her towards the couch, while she stared at my decoration in awe. I knew she was very romantic, and I had arranged all this according to it –again, my son's ability to 'see' her romantic fantasies was very useful-. Edward was at the piano, the only place that wasn't entirely lit, and started to play for us. It was _his_ music he was playing; ever since he'd noticed my feelings for Esme, he'd worked on it… he'd wrote the song especially for her. I sat with Esme on the couch, and took a rose from the bouquet in front of us to give it to her. She took it with trembling fingers.

"Thank you…" she said. Her voice was trembling too; she was nervous. I took her hand again, this time softly, and sighed deeply.

"Esme… I have something to tell you" I said. She looked at me, waiting. I whished to have Edward's gift for once.

"Yes, Carlisle?" she urged me.

"Esme… ever since I met you, when you were hurt and I helped you, I couldn't forget you. Your kindness, your tender heart. When I found you later, when I turned you… you know why I did it?" I asked. She seemed confused by my words.

"You told me it was because you felt I deserved a chance" she answered. I smiled.

"Yes, but that was not all. When I saw you there, on the brick of death, the only thing I could think of was your smile. I refused to let you die because, even if I didn't know you well, I couldn't bear the thought of loosing you… it was then that I realized I love you, Esme. I love you from the first moment I saw you, and living with you this whole year only increased my feelings for you. My dear Esme… will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" I finally asked. I took a small ring from my pocket –Edward had bought it for me as a favor- and showed it to her.

I saw as Esme's eyes widened. I waited for her to say something, but she seemed too shocked to talk. Finally, she reacted, and looked at me with a huge smile on her beautiful lips.

"Carlisle… yes, yes. Of course I accept!" she said, and I placed the ring on her finger. She then hugged me tightly, laughing as I'd never heard before. When she looked at me again, I took her face with my hands and, for the first time, kissed her. Nothing I'd experienced in my immortal life compared to the loving touch of Esme's lips against mines. She kissed me fiercely, as if she'd waited for this moment her entire life. I remembered my fantasies back then, when I'd first realized she could never be mine… and now, she was with me, forever.

An angel had entered my life.

**EsmePOV**

I kept kissing Carlisle without stopping. I never thought I could be so lucky.

In this year we've lived together, I'd come to think of them as my family. Each day I passed next to Carlisle, I felt even more in love with him… but I'd never imagined he shared my feelings.

The first thing I'd felt when I saw the room was surprise. He knew I liked this kind of things, and I'd wondered if I was hallucinating. But then he'd confessed he loved me, and had proposed to me. That moment, my breath stopped –figuratively-. For a moment I thought I was dreaming, but I knew that wasn't possible since I couldn't sleep anymore. I saw some apprehension in his eyes, and that awoke me from my dazzled state. He doubted of my feelings… silly thing to do, since I loved him with all my heart.

After we stopped, both remained there, hugging each other. The feeling of his fingers intertwined with mines was amazing; I wished nothing more than to stay like this forever, listening to the music Edward so kindly played for us. I sighed, and laughed softly.

"What are you thinking, Esme?" Carlisle asked me.

"Nothing, it's just that… ever since I met you, I couldn't forget you either. I kept hoping that, someday, I would see you again" I said to him. He smiled at me.

"Destiny works in strange ways…" he said. I totally agreed. I never imagined I could be with him like this. I placed myself closer to him, enjoying the feeling of his arms around me. The music stopped… apparently, Edward had decided to give us some time, but I missed the sound.

"Did you like it?" Carlisle asked me. "The music, I mean" he added when he noticed my confused stare.

"Yes… it was beautiful, what's its name?" I asked him. It was, after all, 'our song'. Carlisle chuckled.

"I don't know. I don't think Edward has named it yet" he said. I looked at him, surprised.

"Edward wrote it?" I asked.

"Especially for you" he said, kissing my cheek. I hugged him again, oblivious to the world outside.

The man of my dreams had returned to me.

**EPOV**

I left Carlisle and Esme alone. I felt it would be rude if I stayed there; it was their moment, not mine.

Their thoughts were so full of love that made me think about my own situation. Would I be able to find love in this 'life'? Carlisle had been lucky; he'd saved Esme and had found in her his soul mate… I doubted I could be that lucky. I looked at the stars, suddenly sad.

Was someone out there waiting for me?

_**KYA!!!! I hope you liked this… this story is proving to be quite difficult to do /sigh/.**_

_**And poor Edward at the end… I guessed it should be hard for him; I mean, he's 21, he surely thinks about love :P. But don't feel bad for him, we all know he gets his happy ending! (lucky Bella)**_

_**Next chapter we'll have Edward's rebellion! **_


	11. Rebellion

"Rebellion"

**EPOV**

**1927**

I was tired of this…

My class had finished some minutes earlier -thank God for that- and I was now walking slowly, careful not to come out in the sun. I still felt the burning in my throat, the urge to kill, to feed… it was unbearable. Recently, I'd been wondering why I was doing this. I was a vampire, a creature supposed to drink human blood; but, instead of that, I endured suffering and pain to preserve human life. In all these years, I'd read in my father's mind his motivations and arguments for our actions… deep inside my heart, I admired him for that, and knew it was right, but the urge was too much.

What was the purpose of it all? We were strangers for them, and we lived always hidden, unable to interact with the humans we protected… from ourselves. They never noticed the effort we made, and would never know we existed. To them we were legendary monsters.

As I walked, I smelled each human that passed near me. I smelled their blood, I heard their heart beats, I saw their exposed necks. It was too much. Why deny what I was? It was as if the lion refused to eat the lamb just because he felt guilty. Things were meant to be like that; why fight it? Why suffer to rebel against what we were? I felt ashamed; I was not as strong as my adoptive father, but I couldn't stop thinking that maybe I should follow my instincts.

My ability could be quite helpful on that. I could hear everybody's minds… why not take advantage of it? I could hunt the bad ones, people who hurt others. That way I would not only satiate my thirst, but also rid the world from a criminal. There was nothing wrong with that, was it? There were humans that deserved to be saved from other humans too and I, as their predator, could clean the city from all those criminals.

I arrived to my house with a new determination. I would go, follow my own path as Carlisle had said once. But the worst was saying goodbye to my new family, the ones I loved as father and mother. I already could imagine Esme's eyes full of sadness, and I couldn't bear to make her suffer. She'd been so kind to me, like a true mother… I loved her as a mother. And my father? The one who had showed me nothing but love, kindness, understanding… the vampire who had saved me and supported me all this time. How could I say goodbye to them? Even worse, how could I say to them _why_ I was leaving? But I had to; I couldn't bear it any longer. With a sigh, I entered.

The first I saw was Esme. She was in the living room, reading a book. She immediately turned to see me… too painful.

"Hi, Edward, how was your day?" she asked me with a voice so full of love I regretted my choice for a moment. But I had decided… I had to go.

"Fine, mom" I answered. I noticed that, despite the time, she still felt joyful when I said the word. I knew –for I had heard it in her mind- that she always wanted children, and to hear me call her mother made her feel happy. I couldn't blame her; I felt quite happy myself each time she treated me like a son… which made this even more difficult.

"Is something wrong, Edward? Do you feel fine? You look bad" she asked me, then stood up and rushed to my side. I remained there, suddenly amused, as she touched my face softly, as if checking if I had a fever. I guess my expression was that bad.

"Don't worry, Esme. We don't get sick" I said to reassure her. She seemed embarrassed by her mistake, but then laughed.

"As far as we know…" she added. "But something is bothering you. Why don't you tell me?" she asked.

"Let's wait for Carlisle" I simply said. She was worried now, but nodded.

I sighed again, afraid. I HAD to do this, but it pained me already to think about the suffering I would cause them. My family…

**CarlislePOV**

When I arrived at the house, it was already night, but it was not that what made me feel strangely anxious. The lights were lit, and I could see Esme and Edward in the living room, waiting for me I supposed. This was strange… I had a bad feeling about this.

When I entered, Esme rushed to meet me. We kissed briefly, and she hugged me.

"Welcome back. How was your day?" she asked me. Even after 5 years, I felt joy when she greeted me like she did. Like her _husband_.

"Busy, but agreeable. Is something wrong, Esme?" I asked plainly. She nodded.

"Edward… he wants to talk with us. I don't know why" she said while leading me towards the couch. I could see worry on her eyes; I was worried too. Edward was standing, waiting for us. He seemed tense, apprehensive… the last time I'd seen him like this was a year ago, when he confessed he'd been about to attack a human. I felt scared; this could mean nothing good.

"Hello, Edward. Esme says you want to talk with us…" I said. He nodded. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, he sighed and looked at me with sad eyes.

"I just wanted to tell you that… I'm leaving" he said. Esme and I stood still, waiting for the words to sink in. Esme was agitated; I knew how much she loved Edward… as much as I did. He was our adoptive son. My mind refused to accept the words, he couldn't leave us, _he couldn't._ But, instead of loosing myself, I managed to stay calm.

"Can you tell us why?" I asked. Edward looked elsewhere, ashamed.

"I can't do this anymore, Carlisle. I can't stand the thirst anymore… I understand your ideal, I admire it, but I don't think I'm strong enough to follow it. I'm sorry, I can't" Edward said, pain clear in his voice.

"But Edward… you can't go. I'm sure there's another way" Esme begged, but I doubted he accepted. Sooner or later, he'll feel our diet was too offensive to watch. I sighed, trying to contain the pain.

"Are you sure, Edward? It is a completely different path… and I understand you, believe me. I just want you to be sure" I said. Edward nodded.

"I'm sure… I'm really sorry…" he said.

"Don't be. I offered you the chance once… you have all the right to follow your own thoughts. But we're going to miss you" I said. It surprised me that my voice sounded firm, considering I felt devastated.

"I'll miss you too, but I have to do this" Edward said, sorrowful. He started to walk towards the door, apparently unable to stay longer. We followed. Edward suddenly turned, and hugged me with such strength he would have broken a human's bones. He then did the same with Esme.

"I'm sorry, father… mother… good bye" he said, and turned again. I reached for his arm, and he stopped when he felt my hand.

"I accept your choice, Edward. Just remember that we love you, son, and this will always be your home if you wish to return" I said, this time unable to control my voice. Edward smiled sadly at me… this was as painful for him as it was for us.

"Thank you, Carlisle" he said. In a second, he was gone.

In my work as a doctor, I'd witnessed the pain of loosing a son. I'd seen the tears, the screams and the agony of the parents. I'd heard them describe the pain, but I never understood it clearly… until now. I knew my heart wasn't beating, but I felt as if something or someone had traversed my chest with a sword. I had not experienced pain like this before… it was as if part of my life was gone, running at vampire speed towards the forest.

At my side, Esme fell on her knees, burying her face in her hands. I knew it was impossible for her to cry, but the instinctive movement was there. Her body trembled, and I heard her sob without tears. I knew I had to remain strong for her; she'd lost a son once, and Edward's departure was like experiencing that loss again. I was confused; I wanted to be strong, but I was tired of it… I wanted to break, to let my feelings come out.

I couldn't resist the urge. I kneeled next to my beloved Esme, and hugged her. She moved immediately to hide her head on my chest, still sobbing. I buried my face in her shoulder, letting my sorrow finally come out.

"He's gone… Edward is gone…" Esme muttered painfully. Each word hurt me like a knife… Edward, my first companion, was no longer with me.

My son was gone.

_**Sooo much drama!!! But that's the way it should have been… they were Edward's adoptive parents, it must be VERY painful to watch him leave.**_

_**Strangely enough, I liked this one. I wanted to show the love Esme and Carlisle have for Edward, and show Edward's thoughts and conflicts about what he's doing… hope you like it ;)**_

_**Don't suffer! Edward will return on next chapter. I don't want to extend too much on his life during those years… I guess there could be an entire fic of it lol. But you'll see the last part of his 'new life' n.n**_

_**And did you notice the lion-lamb little irony? Yes, I had to put it lol**_

_**As always, thanks for reading! **_


	12. Return home

"Return home"

**EPOV**

**1931**

I could see him pull the trigger before he even started.

I was running through the small streets of a small city. I didn't care about the name, why think of it when I was leaving soon, anyways? I was thirsty, and I was running towards my prey. I could hear his thoughts clearly, disgusting and evil, while I approached.

'_Come on, you stupid girl! Shut up! You're going to enjoy it before I send you to hell'_ I felt enraged by his mind. I saw the girl in his head; it was barely a woman, and he dragged her towards a dark alley. I knew what he planned; I'd seen it more than once during these 4 miserable years. I was depressed, but at least I had to feed now, before he could act.

He didn't even see me approach. I jumped over his back, and pierced his neck with my teeth. I saw the horrified gaze of the girl next to me, and heard her mental plea for help. To her I was a monster; she had no way to know I wasn't going to hurt her. She ran away, but I didn't worry… her shocked state and the horrid incident she'd been about to live would make others doubt her mental state, no one would believe her. I grabbed the man's body fiercely, draining it to satisfy my hunger. Once I finished, I let him fall heavily on the floor and sighed, disgusted at myself.

How could I be so fool? Why had I thought it would be easy to do this? I looked at a small window, and saw my face reflected there… it horrified me. My red eyes, mi fierce expression and the blood dripping from my mouth, it was the face of a monster. Ashamed, I turned and ran away.

I ran as fast as I could, as if that could help me escape my own guilt. These 4 years had been the worst of my entire life. I had thought I could hunt the criminals, and thus save human lives without feeling the remorse, but it was worse each time. Day after day, hour after hour, I was haunted by the terrified faces of my victims; each time all was silent, I heard their screams of agony. I tried to focus on other things to distract my mind, but it wasn't helping. The memories came anyways.

I wondered what kind of creature I was. Was I any better than the man who lay dead on that alley? I doubted he'd killed as many people as I did… I realized with disgust that I was no better than the criminals I fed upon. I destroyed lives, just like them, no matter the purposes behind it. Each time I killed, it was as if a part of me died with my prey… each time it was harder to resist the sadness and desperation. I wanted to stop, but why? To live alone, like Carlisle had done?

But the worst of it all was my gift. Since I could read their minds, I could see how they looked at me, how I looked like when I hunted… and I could hear their mental struggle. I saw myself through their eyes: a fierce, terrifying monster with red eyes that attacked them without any consideration: a demon.

Their thoughts were no better. Each time, I heard them beg for life; they always thought about it, begging to every existent deity to save them. I heard their minds scream their wish to live, and the desperation and fear when they noticed there was no escape, no second chance. Many of them cursed me mentally, I read their hate towards me, and I heard them yelling at me to stop. Then, in the last moments, there were always images, lots of them: they remembered their human lives, the people they loved, and their best moments… all that hurt me even more.

I was depressed. I had made a fatal mistake by leaving my adopted family. I felt the desire to return to them and live peacefully again, but I was sure they'll never forgive me. Now, I clearly understood Carlisle's ideal: every life was precious, and everyone had the right to live… but it was too late. I had killed so many… my father would be ashamed of me.

I missed them so much. I wished nothing more than to talk with Carlisle, or play Esme's favorite song on the piano… I wondered if they still lived there. Maybe I could go see them, just a visit. I knew they wouldn't accept me anymore, but I wanted to see them, just once, before continuing with my living hell.

**CarlislePOV**

I couldn't concentrate in the book I was reading. I guess it had something to do with the huge piano in front of me.

Ever since Edward had left us, we'd feel an empty space, impossible to fill or to forget. Esme and I continued with our lives, but never lost hope to see our son again. I wondered what he was doing… I missed him.

Esme sat beside me, and took my hand.

"I wish Edward was here… I miss him" she said. I nodded, understanding her suffering. I was about to comfort her when I heard a sound outside. Normally, I wouldn't have paid attention, but it was different: it sounded like footsteps, and there was only one creature capable of making that sound… a vampire. Esme heard it too, and tensed.

"Wait here" I said to her, and rushed to the door. When I opened it, I saw someone I thought was lost forever.

Edward was there, standing in front of me… my son looked really miserable. His eyes were red, which meant he'd fed recently, but the expression in them was of deep sadness and despair. He was wearing some old clothes, and looked strangely tired; I remembered the way he always moved, so elegant and graceful, but now he looked defeated, broken. I wondered why.

"Edward?" I asked, so low I prayed Esme couldn't hear. If he was leaving again, it was better if she didn't know he was here. Edward lifted his head to look at me, pain evident in his eyes.

"Carlisle… I'm sorry, I just wanted to…" he said, but stopped. His voice was so low, a prefect match for his sad appearance. I smiled at him, to show I wasn't angry.

"Tell me, Edward" I begged him. He looked so bad; I wished I could hold him like a father, but I didn't know if he wanted it.

"I can't… it was too horrible. I've lived in hell during 4 years, Carlisle, and I can't do it anymore. I should have known… I should have guessed this would happen. I can't bear it, Carlisle… I'm a murderer… I don't know what to do… I just wanted to see you again before…" he said, but stopped. He grabbed his head with his hands, trembling slightly as if he was crying. The image tore at my heart. I'd never seen Edward this broken. Unable to resist, I approached him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Edward… I understand. I know you had to follow your own way, and that you had to experience it by yourself before deciding what to do the rest of your existence. When you left, I told you this will always be your home… I mean it, Edward. You don't have to live like this anymore if you don't want to… you can return with us" I said. He looked at me wide-eyed.

"But I… I've…" he said, unable to say the word. I shook my head; I realized he thought I wouldn't accept him… how could he think so? He was my son.

"Making mistakes is the only way to learn… welcome back, son" I said. I hugged him, and he suddenly reacted, hugging me with all his vampire strength.

"I'm a monster, Carlisle…" he said, almost sobbed, against my shoulder. How could he think so low of himself, when I could see the pain he suffered?

"You're not, Edward. A monster wouldn't regret those lives the way you do. Only a kind soul can feel pity for the bad ones" I said. It was true; I knew Edward had a kind soul… that's why he felt so miserable when he killed.

"I'm sorry… father" he said. It felt so good to hear him calling me that again. The moment was interrupted by a soft gasp of surprise. Both turned to see Esme at the threshold, looking at Edward with joy and hope.

"Edward?" she asked hopefully, and I felt Edward tense; surely he felt sorry for making her suffer. I placed my hand on his shoulder again, to show him we didn't care. "Are you… are you coming back?" Esme continued. I looked at Edward, questioning him.

"You… aren't you angry at me, Esme?" Edward asked. Esme answered by running towards him, encircling him with her arms.

"Of course not! I love you, Edward! I've missed you so much!" she said. I heard Edward sigh in relief, and I knew he was back. He hadn't accepted it before only because of fear to our reaction.

"I've missed you too, mom" he said. Esme couldn't contain, and kissed his head softly, like a true mother to her child.

"Let's go inside… we have so much to talk about" I said. Esme grabbed Edward's arm and almost dragged him inside, while talking to him.

"Look at you, you look horrible! You should at least change your clothes… aren't you cold? Maybe, after that, you could play something for me… it's been so long since I heard you play…" she kept saying. Edward looked at me and smiled, obviously amused by Esme's words. To see him smile again sent relief to my body… he was back, and he could live happily with us again.

With a smile on my face, I entered the house, which was now a home again.

_**Ar**__**gh! Such a strong chapter!!! I almost cried here! Yeah, the last moment was THAT sweet (my evil side was nauseated lol).**_

_**I really liked how this one turned out… poor Edward!!! We love you!!! And YES, you HAVE a soul, dammit! Accept it! lol**_

_**Now to write next… Rosalie!**_


	13. Image of beauty

"Image of beauty"

**CarlislePOV**

**1933**

Every time I was alone, my thoughts drifted towards my family.

Ever since Edward had returned to us, tired and ashamed of his rebellious days, our life had been whole again. It always amazed me how things had turned out. Someone up there had satisfied my wish for a family in a strange but satisfying way. I couldn't think of a son better than Edward, so kind and mature and responsible, and at the same time so eager to learn and to help others. And I certainly couldn't have found someone better than Esme to share my life; she was light, love and joy in my life, everything I wanted.

Sometimes, though, when I shared a special moment with Esme, I wondered if Edward would get the chance to know love as I did. He was 33 now –no matter his young appearance- and I was sure that, sometimes, he wondered the same. It was hard for us vampires to find a mate, since there was not too much interaction between us; besides, what if Edward didn't like them? I doubted that, as it had occurred to me, he could find love in a human… especially considering Edward's ideas about us. He felt grateful to live, and happy to do what he wanted without worrying about time or money, but he was totally averse to the idea of changing someone. I agreed with him, but not for the same reason: I thought humans deserved to live a full life, and it wouldn't be right to take that away from them if they had the chance to live it… Edward, on the other hand, added his own idea to my reasoning: to him, we had lost our soul, our way to heaven.

I tried many times to discuss this with him, but none of us seemed willing to change. I wondered many times how could he think so… to me, his kindness and noble heart made my beliefs even more firm. How could it be that someone as good as Edward couldn't have a soul? Didn't he notice that his own good proved he had one? But, instead of arguing with him, I had decided to accept his ideas. After all, I had only faith, no proof I was right.

No matter his thoughts, I wanted Edward to find love. As any father, I wished for my son to know someone to love; I wanted someone to see his virtues and love him back. But Edward had never shown any preference for someone.

Suddenly, I smelled blood near. It was strange; for a dreadful moment, I thought Edward or Esme had 'slipped', but I doubted so. Esme was so sweet that the mere idea made her shiver, and Edward's experience made him stronger, unable to kill again. So, this only meant there was something else wrong.

I ran at vampire speed towards the scent. It guided me near my home, which increased my doubts. The scent came from a place a few streets away my house. When I entered, I felt the strength of the scent… there was so much blood. My throat ached.

I knew her. She was Rosalie Hale, the daughter of one of our neighbors. I rushed to her side, terrified at the state she was in; she seemed to have suffered a terrible abuse. I searched for her vitals, and then checked her to evaluate her wounds. I felt outraged at the way she'd been treated; I didn't know her family too well –we rarely participated in social events- but I knew she didn't deserve this. She was dying, and her only hope was to be transformed. I felt so bad for her; as my other companions, she didn't have a chance she deserved. She had been cruelly treated, she deserved to live.

I took her in my arms, and ran with her at full speed towards my home. I looked at her while I ran: she was beautiful. I remembered Edward had said she was pretty, but otherwise had never heard much of her… the memory of Edward gave me an idea. What if he liked this girl? I wondered if he could, after all, fall in love with her.

Once I arrived, I placed her on the only bed we had –a façade- and prepared myself. I bit her quickly, afraid she could die at any moment. The taste of her blood was almost irresistible, but my practice in medicine had given me the strength and control I needed. When I finished, she started screaming with all her strength. I held her hand, whispering soft words to her, saying I was sorry and that it would end soon.

The days passed. I was comforting her when Edward and Esme returned. I quickly explained to them what had happened, and saw as Edward looked at Rosalie wide-eyed.

"What are you thinking, Edward?" I asked. He seemed scared.

"She's… what were you thinking Carlisle? Rosalie Hale?" he asked with a mixture of fear and irritation. Surely, he was thinking it was risky; I totally agreed but… I couldn't let her there.

"I couldn't just let her die. It was too much… to horrible, too much waste" I said. I saw in his eyes that he understood, but he still seemed worried.

"I know" Edward said. Of course he knew… he was seeing the horrid scene in my head. The memory of that almost made me shiver; how could someone be so cruel with a girl?

"It was too much waste. I couldn't leave her" I repeated, more to myself than to them. Esme noticed my distress and approached, placing a hand on my arm.

"Of course you couldn't" she said, reassuring. But Edward was reluctant.

"People die all the time" he said in a sad tone, as if he was trying to be objective about the danger Rosalie posed for us. "Don't you think she's just a little recognizable, though? The Kings will be looking for her… not that anyone suspects the fiend" he added with a disgusted tone. I looked at him; maybe, he knew WHO had done this to her. When we remained silent, there was no screaming anymore. The process was almost done… we had to end our discussion quickly.

"What are we going to do with her?" Edward asked in a strange tone. It seemed he wasn't entirely satisfied with the events, but was too kind to ignore my point of view.

"That's up to her, of course. She may want to go her own way" I answered. As I had done with my other companions, I would present her the choice. Of course, I harbored the hope that she, someday, could be for Edward the couple Esme was for me. Maybe he could find love, after all… I stopped my thoughts suddenly, when I saw Edward raise an eyebrow. Luckily, he had started to 'hear' just now. I focused on Esme's face, so that he couldn't hear my real thoughts and, at the same time, couldn't suspect I was hiding something. Surely he'll be quite used to me thinking about Esme to consider it suspicious.

I heard Rosalie's movements; she had finished with her transformation. I rushed to her side, and explained to her everything…

------------------

Some hours later, Rosalie was sitting with us in the living room. She seemed afraid and confused but Esme, as tender as always, was hugging her in an attempt to comfort her. We were waiting for her decision… Edward and I watched her intently.

"I… I don't want to be alone… I want to stay" she said.

"Of course, honey. You can stay with us" Esme said. I nodded, but Edward remained still, tense… his hands were pressed into fist. I wondered what was wrong.

"Edward?" I asked, worried. Edward jumped a little when I said his name; strange, his gift avoided that anyone took him entirely by surprise.

"No… nothing, Carlisle" he said, distracted, but then looked at Rosalie with outrage and fury… but it was not directed towards her. He was seeing what had happened, and was suffering with her. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it, Edward… it must be too painful to watch" I advised him. He nodded. Rosalie looked at me confused.

"What is happening? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rosalie asked, and looked into a small mirror near the couch. She smiled, apparently pleased with her appearance, and then looked at Edward with anger and a little arrogance. Edward answered immediately.

"Nothing" he said with a cold tone. He didn't like the way she looked at him.

"Please don't be angry, Rosalie. Edward can 'hear' what others think… he was seeing your thoughts" I said. Big mistake. Rosalie got furious at that.

"YOU were seeing what I was thinking? Without my consent?" she asked, angry. Edward looked at her defiantly.

"I couldn't help it. Your thoughts were so… intense to ignore. I'm sorry" he said, but Rosalie didn't give any signs of forgiveness.

"You should control it… its really uncomfortable" she said, looking elsewhere. Edward tensed, angry; he knew it was uncomfortable, but he couldn't control it all the time… I didn't like the way things were going. They seemed ready to kill each other.

"It's not that easy… you can't know how hard it is to block the voices" Edward said with low voice, but I knew him well… that tone only meant he was very angry. He looked at her intently, and she moved slightly, uncomfortable. She frowned, and the anger in her face increased… and Edward raised an eyebrow, apparently amused at something.

"Please, calm down… if we are going to live together, it will be best if we learn to like each other" I said, but they kept staring at each other.

"I can't believe _that_ makes you jealous" Edward said. Rosalie gasped, outraged. "Honestly, I don't care" he said later, answering to Rosalie's thoughts.

"Well, I do… happy?" she said angrily. He sighed.

"Why should I be? I don't care what you think…" he said, but stopped abruptly. "No, I don't…" he said with a kinder tone. Rosalie looked at him as if she didn't believe him, whatever it was they were arguing. "I promise" he said finally, and Rosalie relaxed a little.

"That's better… you shouldn't be arguing, you're brothers now" Esme said cheerfully. I couldn't help but think about what I really wanted them to become… Edward looked at me, and I focused on Esme again. I had to be careful, or else he'll notice it. Rosalie looked at us, and smiled.

It was strange; she smiled warmly at us, but when she looked at Edward, her expression grew different. It sill was a smile, but to me it seemed more seductive and arrogant, as if she was trying to 'charm' Edward… but there was something more: frustration, defiance. I wondered if she was trying to prove she was beautiful enough to seduce Edward. But my son stood up, totally oblivious to her, smiling with amusement. Rosalie sighed, frustrated.

"No… I'm not" Edward answered. Esme and I were confused, but Rosalie looked at him with plain hate.

"You're not… is that so bad for you?" he added. She crossed her arms. "I guess so… but not to me" Edward said, and moved towards the piano to play.

"Honey, what…?" Esme asked Rosalie, but she shrugged.

"Nothing… we're just… different" she said mysteriously. I could see she was still angry; whatever she'd been thinking, Edward's answers hadn't been what she expected, and had enraged her.

So far, my little attempt at uniting these two had gone terribly wrong.

_**Jaja! Can you guess what Rosalie was thinking? Lol. You know her, and know why exactly she could be angry at Edward (remember Eclipse)… **__**A virtual cookie to whoever guess her thoughts! Lol **_

_**Oh, by the way, I'm not going to write about Rosalie's revenge… I'd like to, but that has been already mentioned in Eclipse, and its kinda short… but, if you want it so much, maybe I could try it… besides, I'm impatient to write Emmett (we miss him!! :P)**_

_**Oh! And lastly: those lines between Edward and Carlisle –while Rosalie is changing- are taken from the book "Eclipse" and belong to –the amazing- Stephenie Meyer; I made no profit with this… (so don't sue me lol)**_

_**Thank you!**_


	14. Her revenge

"Her revenge"

**RosaliePOV**

Finally, my revenge was near… I could almost taste it in the air, along with the scent of my victims.

For a moment, while I watched them from across the street, I thought about my new family. They were all against this, but understood me enough to let me go on with my plan. I knew Edward could see exactly why I had to do this, and Carlisle understood my right to make them pay for my suffering… I wondered if they'd be angry at me after this.

I looked at the guards Royce had placed in his house, to protect himself. Stupid man; no guard could protect him from my revenge… none of his friends had survived, why should he? The mere thought of him filled me with fury. He destroyed my hopes, my dreams, my life, and he'll pay for it.

The guards were easy. None of them expected me. I ran at vampire speed towards them, and broke their necks with my bare hands. I was very careful… I knew that, if I spilled their blood, I couldn't control my thirst, and I didn't want any of them inside me… that was disgusting.

I opened the steel door, with such strength I broke it, and moved slowly towards the room where he was hiding. I walked quietly, enjoying the moment, making it last longer. Finally, I opened another door to find him there, in a corner, bracing his legs with his arms and trembling furiously. I felt a sick joy seeing him like that… he deserved to suffer, to pay for what he'd done to me. I walked slowly towards him, stopping only in front of a mirror to see my reflection: the beautiful wedding dress, my face, my beauty… yes, I was beautiful, an angel of death for him. I heard him whimper like a child, and I smiled devilishly.

"Hello, darling" I said, making my voice as seductive and menacing as I could. He screamed when he saw my face, recognizing me.

"No! It can't be… No!" he said, almost screamed, as I approached. Good. I wanted him to suffer.

"Please, no! Please! I can pay you! I'll give you anything you want!" he said, frenetically. I laughed sarcastically at his remark. I grabbed him by the collar and forced him to stand up.

"What I want, you cannot give…" I whispered in his ear, and he trembled again.

"Don't do this, Rose! Please!" He begged. My name on his lips was an offense. How could he DARE to speak my name as if nothing had happened? In my fury, I launched him towards the wall, unable to hide my pleasure as I heard his bones break.

"Don't say my name!" I screamed at him. He covered his head with his hands… fool, as if that could save him. I grabbed him by the hair, and dragged him towards the center of the room, smiling as I heard him cry like the coward he really was. I forced him to look at me… he opened his eyes widely, terrified by my aspect. I must admit I'd been quite childish, with the wedding dress and the blood, but I wanted him to feel fear… and I was being successful in that.

"No… Please!" he begged again. I looked at him with disgust.

"How many times I begged you, Royce, when you and your stupid friends abused me? How many?!" I said, furious. He remained silent, unable to defend himself anymore… defeated, broken.

"That's right, Royce… you deserve it. Face it. Be a man just for once" I said, disgusted by his presence. He must have seem the determination and hate in my eyes, for he started to move, trying to escape again. Stupid.

"NO! PLEASE STOP! NO!" He screamed, but I wasn't going to show mercy. After all, he hadn't showed mercy for me, why should I do it? I placed my hands at both sides of his head and, with a swift movement, I broke his neck. I saw as his body fell lifeless on the floor, with his eyes still wide open. I stood up, pleased at my revenge.

"I hope you're now in hell, Royce" I said, and leaved.

**CarlislePOV**

I was anxiously pacing around our living room.

Esme was no better. She was sitting on the couch, but her hands moved frantically in her lap, and Edward… strangely enough, he had agreed with Rosalie. I tried to understand, but I couldn't forget the victims… I couldn't help thinking about what Rosalie was doing in this precise moment.

Edward had described to me what she'd planned; it was cruel, evil… but he had described me Rosalie's memories from the attack, and I had to admit it was even worse than her revenge. In fact, that was the only reason I'd allowed her to go on. I felt she deserved to make them pay for her suffering, and I knew they deserved to be punished for such cruelty.

I sighed, nervous. It was like reviving my human life, when I'd been forced to hunt and kill… I wondered how Rosalie really felt about it. Happy? Revulsed? What if she liked to kill after this? Even worse, what if it destroyed her to do it? Edward had felt depressed after trying it… I still remembered with horror the way he'd looked back then. Rosalie was strong, I knew that, and I knew that she needed to do this in order to go on with her existence… but was she strong enough?

I stopped my thoughts when I heard the door open. Esme looked up, and Edward nodded, indicating it was Rosalie. Mi son looked strange; I thought I saw him wince slightly… were Rosalie's memories that bad? I tried not to think about what she'd done, and waited for her to arrive.

She entered soon enough. Her eyes were golden, but hard as stone; her face showed a mixture of disgust and fury, along with fulfillment. She still was wearing that wedding dress she'd obtained for the "occasion", tainted with the blood of animals she'd recently hunted. I heard Esme gasp a little at her appearance, and heard as Edward sighed strangely, as if trying to remain calm.

Rosalie, dear…" Esme said. I just waited for her to say something… I was sure she had a lot to deal with.

"Is it done, then?" Edward asked, looking at her. She nodded. I realized until then that she was trembling.

"Yes, it is done" she said without emotion. I didn't like that. Suddenly, though, Edward raised his head as if someone had called him, looking intently at Rosalie. He nodded slightly, and she smiled sadly.

"Esme? Can you come with me? I'll be outside" Edward said, and left with Esme. Surely, Rosalie had asked some privacy. Once we were alone, I approached her.

"Am I evil?" she asked me suddenly, without looking at me. "They deserved it, I know that, but still… I'd never killed anyone… am I evil?" she continued. I took her hand in mines.

"No, Rosalie, you're not" I said, comforting her.

"But, I enjoyed it, Carlisle… no matter how disgusted I am now, in that moment I enjoyed it, blinded by hate…" she admitted. I tried to remain calm for her, despite my uneasiness at her words.

"You had all the right to hate them… they treated you badly. I can understand what you felt. I'm sure anyone of us would have felt like that after suffering what you suffered. As you said, you were blind with hate… that's normal. I understand you deserved you revenge but, now that its over, you don't have to live with hate any longer. You have to move on, Rosalie…" I said. I heard her sob.

"Can you forgive me, father?" she asked me.

"Of course I forgive you, Rosalie… you're a good person. Only good people can feel sorry for others" I said, repeating the words I'd said Edward once. I hugged her, wondering if she could heal someday… she hugged me back, grabbing me with desperate strenght, sobbing without tears in my chest. I caressed her back softly, offering as much comfort as I could. Suddenly, Esme entered the room again.

"Rosalie? What's wrong, dear?" she asked. Rosalie then looked up at her, and ran to her arms. Esme immediately hugged her, whispering kind words in her ear. I approached them, and caressed Rosalie's golden hair, to let her know I was there.

"I'm sorry… so sorry… I won't do it again… I won't" she murmured painfully.

"We know you won't, honey. We know" Esme said to her. I saw Edward behind, looking at us kindly. Mentally, I asked him if she was fine. He nodded slightly.

Edward approached us and placed a hand on Rosalie's shoulder.

"I understand you, Rosalie… and you're wrong. I'm sure someday, you will" he said to her. I wondered what was she thinking, but focused on her sorrow. I felt bad for her, my daughter; I wanted to erase her pain.

I looked at Edward with discretion. Probably, someday, he could erase her pain.

_**As you asked, here it is: Rosalie's revenge. /shudders/ I made her quite evil in the first part, right? But think about what that…$%#%$#$.... I mean, "man" did to her… of course she was angry! (who wouldn't be?!)**_

_**And then Carlisle trying to comfort her. I think she could feel bad for that later… not because of the, ejem, "man" but simply because she KILLED… and that's hard to bear, don't you think?**_

_**And again, I left you hanging with Edward's gift, right? Lol… basically, she's thinking if she could be fine someday, and Edward answers he understand her (of course he does!), she then thinks she'll never find love, and Edward answers again… **_

_**And yeah, Carlisle is still hoping for a RosaliexEdward there… don't blame him, he couldn't know she'll meet Emmett later lol**_


	15. A brother

"A brother"

**RosaliePOV**

**1935**

I ran to catch my prey.

The deer was close, I could hear it. The mud beneath my feet sounded so disgusting to my sensitive hearing… even after 2 years of this, I hated it. I was not the type of woman who could easily get dirty without caring about it. I knew I was beautiful, even more now that I was a vampire, and I hated this part of my 'life'. I whished some other could hunt for me, and that way avoid the dirt and the blood and the fluids of my prey… but none of them agreed. Carlisle had insisted it was something I had to do by myself, and Edward would have laughed at me if I'd merely proposed my idea to him. In this time, I had come to know them pretty well, and I knew they should have good reasons for this, but I still felt angry at them each time I was forced to hunt.

Thinking about Edward always made me angry and irritated. He was very handsome, even more beautiful than I was, and –on purpose or not- he made it evident. The worst was the way he looked at me: he never saw me pretty, he never showed adoration for my beauty… he acted as everyday, as if he didn't notice or didn't care. I hated him for that. I didn't love him, I must admit that, but I'd been so accustomed to people adoring my beauty that his indifference was practically an offense to my pride. How could he see me and not desire me? Everyone else did, why was he different?

Suddenly, a piercing scream was heard in the forest, scaring my prey away. I cursed mentally at the idiot that had ruined a whole hour of persecution. The scream was heard again, but this time I smelled blood nearby. I knew I shouldn't be approaching, but I was curious. I ran towards the noise, eager to see what was happening.

I found a strange sight. A bear was there, standing on its hind legs, roaring at a figure at its feet. My vampire eyes allowed me to distinguish a man there, lying over the dirt with a pained expression. The bear approached, and he tried to move, but the pain of his wounds made him scream in agony. My heart stopped at the sight of him: his face… he was so much like Vera's son, the one that had awoken in me the desire for children and a family, a desire I could never fulfill. He was handsome, but had a strange look of innocence in his face, even when it was twisted in pain. Without thinking, I rushed towards the bear. The animal didn't even have time to react; he was dead in a second, drained.

I rushed to the man's side, oblivious to the blood, and touched him briefly. He opened his eyes painfully, and looked at me. He looked so innocent despite being an adult… again, I remembered Vera's child. I couldn't let him die here; he should live, just like my friend's son. But I doubted I could help him myself; first of all, I hadn't chosen this life, I hated it, how could I give it to someone else? But most important, I couldn't control myself. That time, when I got my revenge, my hate gave me strength, but I couldn't hate this man… I would surely drain him.

Suddenly, I thought about Carlisle. He worked near blood everyday without danger. He could do it. Without any more doubts, I lifted him in my arms and ran towards my house. I wondered briefly why I was doing this; I didn't know him, why bother? But I was selfish; even if it was only because he resembled Vera's son, I wanted this man to live, no matter the cost.

I was lucky. Carlisle was outside; apparently, he had finished his shift. I ran towards him, and saw fear in his face.

"Rosalie? Who is he? Why are you carrying him?" he asked, worried. For a moment, I thought he could save him without turning him, but the man's heart answered my question: it was slow, painful… he was dying.

"Carlisle! Please save him!" I begged, swallowing my pride. He signaled the house, and we both entered.

I placed him over a couch, since none of us had a bed. Carlisle immediately started checking him, trying to save him as I'd asked, but we both knew it was useless… there was only one way for him to be saved.

Edward appeared and looked at me with shock, probably guessing what I was doing. "What's happening, Carlisle? Is he… oh" he stopped once he read Carlisle's intentions.

"Are you sure, Rosalie?" Carlisle asked me. I nodded. I waited for Edward to say something against it, but he remained silent. He had read my desperation. I watched with awe as Carlisle bit the man's throat, beginning with the process.

**CarlislePOV**

**3 days later**

"So I'm what? A vampire?" the man, named Emmett, asked. He sounded more excited than scared.

"Yes. In order to save you, I was forced to turn you into one of us" I answered calmly, waiting for the usual burst of anxiety and fear. However, Emmett's answer was the less I expected.

"So I'm really a vampire? Cool!" he said, cheerful. Edward laughed softly, amused by whatever Emmett was thinking. Rosalie and Esme were shocked.

"It… it doesn't bother you?" Rosalie asked, surprised. Edward laughed even more.

"Are you kidding? This is great! I've never been stronger!" Emmett said. I expected Rosalie to be angry at his comment, but she was smiling. Odd.

"So… are you going to stay with us?" Esme asked. Edward seemed quite amused.

"Yeah, why not? You're a family, right? I guess you're the only ones who can teach me to live as a vampire" Emmett said, smiling. I couldn't help but laugh a little at his attitude. I saw that Rosalie kept staring at him, smiling in a way I'd never seen before. I wondered if Emmett would ruin my plans for Edward and Rosalie. I told myself that it wasn't important; after all, love was not something one could manipulate… if they ended up together, well, there were meant to be.

"Hey, um… I feel strange, like my throat is burning… why is that?" Emmett asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"You need to feed" Esme explained. "Edward, why don't you go with him?" she asked. I could see what she was doing: Emmett and Edward were more or less of the same age –physically, at least-, they could get along.

"Yes" Edward said. He and Emmett stood up immediately.

**EPOV**

Emmett's mind was the funniest I'd read in any vampire. Instead of being afraid, he was honestly excited and happy with his new self… something strange.

'_I wonder if there's a bear near here… I'd love to test my new strength with one'_ Emmett thought.

"I smell one nearby. If you want, we can go there" I said. He looked at me, surprised; I forgot he didn't know what I could do.

"Wow! What was that? Did you just read my mind?" Emmett asked. He didn't seem angry or irritated, but interested. I liked his easy-going attitude.

"Sorry. Yes, I can read your mind. Is a gift I have… I apologize, I should have mentioned it" I said.

"Don't apologize. No harm done" _'Besides, it sounds great!'_ Emmett smiled at me, and I smiled back. Yes, I definitively liked Emmett.

"And you're the only one who can do it… hum… sorry, what was your name?" Emmett asked. I laughed softly; it was like any human chat.

"Edward" I answered. He nodded.

"Edward… I won't forget it again" he promised.

"Yes, I'm the only one. No one knows why" I said. He whistled.

"It must be quite fun, right? To know what others are thinking instead of hearing their lies" he said. I laughed again; he was right, it was fun.

"I must admit it is fun sometimes. But others it's hard" I said, amazed at my words. I barely knew Emmett, and here I was opening up to him.

"Guess so… not anyone has nice thoughts" _'Besides… what about certain "fantasies"?'_ He added mentally with a suggestive tone. We both ended up laughing the rest of the way. It felt so good to be with Emmett; he was like the brother I'd always wanted to have. Suddenly, I signaled him to stop running. The prey was near.

"That scent… is it the bear?" he asked. I nodded. He was excited. _'Sweet revenge… right?'_ Again, I laughed at his thoughts. He suddenly approached me, and placed an arm around my shoulders with a playful hit.

"I like you, Edward… I think we're going to get along perfectly" he said. We both laughed again. _'I'd always wanted a little brother'_ he thought, but this time more to himself than to me. I smiled. When he moved towards his prey, I spoke softly.

"You know? Me too" I said to him. He smiled.

'_Yeah. Good l__uck we met'_ he thought, and charged towards the bear.

How funny things worked out. Emmett was so easy to talk with, so open and sincere, that he made me feel I knew him for a long time. His joyful attitude was contagious. I remembered his words before, when he'd asked if we were a family… I realized with awe and happiness that we _were_.

And he was my brother now.

_**Another chapter ready! This took me so long!!! But I guess its not too bad lol. I don't know exactly if Emmett took his new nature this well, but you know him, I think that's something he could have done :P**_

_**And yeah, Edward likes Emmett… I guess his attitude is quite likeable, isn't it? Lol.**_

_**About Rosalie… I know she sounds annoyingly shallow, but hey! She admits she IS, so I guess that's how her mind could sound…**_


	16. Unusual couple

"Unusual couple"

**EmmettPOV**

I wished I was Edward now. My brother was so much better with words than I was. But, maybe, he was just as clueless as I was…

"Edward…Errr… brother? I need your help" I said doubtful while Edward played the piano. He stopped and looked at me, waiting.

"Of course Emmett. What can I do for you?" He asked. I was shocked he hadn't read it by then.

"It's about Rose… I… well, I want to…" I started, unable to say the words. But, of course, Edward read them in my head. He looked at me wide-eyed, stopping the music, and frowned.

"Do you really think I can help you with… _that_?" He asked, suddenly irritated. I wondered if I'd touched a hard subject for him.

"Well, yeah… I mean, you're more experienced, and…" I started, but he stood up quickly.

"No, not in this…" he added ruefully, and walked away. He seemed kinda sad, really. So I HAD touched a hard subject. He, however, seemed to regret his own behavior, for he turned briefly to look at me.

"You should ask Carlisle… he has a couple, after all" he said. I thought I saw sadness in his eyes but he was gone before I could make a comment about it. I regretted asking him, for it certainly put him on a bad mood, but his advice was good… I could ask my adoptive father.

**CarlislePOV**

**1935**

It was a nice day. I remembered how I hated my free days when I was alone, frustrated by not being able to work… but now, it was completely different. Now I had a family to return to.

Maybe we were not a real family, but it was clear we all thought about us that way. Even Emmett, who'd lived with us for so little time, considered it like that. It was wonderful to stay in my house, sitting in the couch with Esme's arms around my waist, listening to Edward's music at the piano. It amazed me how unusual life had been for me… after all, I'd obtained my family in a strange way, but here it was, making me happier than I ever remembered.

My only regret –and it was not really regret- was my failed attempt with Rosalie and Edward. Of course, they loved each other as brother and sister, but that hadn't been exactly my purpose… and now, Rosalie seemed to like Emmett. I wondered if they would end up together; but I didn't have to wait long to know that…

"Hum… Carlisle? Can I ask you something?" Emmett asked, his huge figure in front of me. Edward appeared suddenly and sat in the sofa near us with a frustrated expression… it was evident he knew what Emmett wanted.

"Of course, Emmett. Is something bothering you?" I asked. Emmett simply looked at my wife with an uncomfortable expression. So, this was a boys-talk. Esme clearly understood.

"I'll go see if Rosalie is near" she said. I remembered then that Rosalie had gone hunting… I wondered if that had something to do with Emmett's strange uneasiness. Once Esme was gone, Emmett sat next to me.

"Alright, Emmett… what's wrong?" I asked. Emmett scratched his head, uncomfortable –strange thing in him- while Edward, involuntarily, chuckled.

"Well, you see… hum… I want your advice, but I'm not sure how to start" Emmett said, nervous. Wait; NERVOUS? Emmett was never nervous… Edward chuckled again, and his adoptive brother glared at him.

"I'm sorry…" Edward said.

"Well, Carlisle… you know that Rosalie and I have been together and… Ok, I'll say it! I'd like to propose to her, but I don't know how and, well, since you're the only one here who has done something like that…" Emmett continued, so fast I barely understood. He looked at Edward significantly, but he kept chuckling despite his efforts to hide it. It took me a moment to understand what I'd heard; once I did, I couldn't help but smile.

"Oh… I see" I said. Unlike Edward, I didn't know what Rosalie was thinking, and couldn't come up with a way for Emmett to propose to her.

"You have strange taste, I must admit" Edward said, answering Emmett's thoughts.

"Hey! It's not my fault if you don't appreciate beauty" Emmett teased him. It was then that I noticed how similar those two were to real brothers. I laughed softly.

"Well, Emmett, I'm afraid I can't offer as much advice as you wish. Each person is different" I answered honestly.

"But you must have some ideas, don't you?" Emmett insisted.

"You know her and what she likes. It's up to you to decide how to approach her… the only advice I can give you is that you tell her the truth. Tell her why you love her, why you want to marry her… show her how much she means to you. I'm sure nothing can best that" I answered as best as I could. Of course, Emmett had no way to know how hard it had been for me to propose to Esme.

"Maybe you're right…" Emmett said. He stood up immediately. "She's close, right?" he asked, looking at Edward. He nodded.

"Then… wish me luck!" Emmett added cheerfully and, grabbing Edward's arm, dragged him along. I could see my son's terrified expression at that… Rosalie was hard to please, and I wasn't as sure as I faked I was. I just hoped the look I'd seen in her eyes when she looked at Emmett was love.

**EPOV**

Why was I running alongside Emmett?

I cursed my distraction. If I had paid attention, I would have foreseen Emmett was going to ask me to accompany him. I could have excused myself… or maybe not. Ever since this morning, when I'd lost my nerve in front of him, I couldn't shake the guilt… after all, it was not his fault if I was alone. Besides, Emmett's thoughts were so anxious I probably would have come anyways, just to offer him some support.

'_Yesh! I can't believe I'm going to do this! What if she doesn't feel like marrying me? What if I mess things up? I'm not the romantic type… how am I supposed to do it? How…?'_ Emmett kept thinking. He'd been thinking like that the whole week. It had become quite annoying… and the subject always put me in a bad mood.

"Emmett… please stop. I'm having a headache" I said, trying to distract him with my little joke. It worked; Emmett laughed softly.

"Sorry, brother. It's just that… I really love her, and I want to make her happy" he said. An interesting subject.

"Can I know why?" I asked. I wasn't trying to be mean, but I was confused. To me, Rosalie and Emmett were opposites and, most important, I wanted to know how it felt to love like that… no matter how much it hurt me. He smiled warmly.

"I don't know… she's so nice once you know her. She's so sad and melancholic… but so sweet inside. It's the kind of person that really worries about you, even if she doesn't show it…" Emmett said. Now I had no doubts; he loved her.

I heard her nearby… and stopped.

"Well, Emmett, I guess I'll stay here. Good luck" I said.

'_Thanks, bro! I'll surely need it'_ He thought, and moved to face Rosalie. Of course, I knew better… she loved him too.

Again, I was forced to remember I was alone. Of course, I loved my family, but I couldn't help but feel a little sad at the events. I knew Carlisle had turned Rosalie _for me_, in the hopes she could be my true love, but now here I was, encouraging Emmett. I didn't love Rosalie like that, but seeing all of them finding true love hurt me more than they thought.

Again, I wondered if I was doomed to be the only one alone…

**EmmettPOV**

I kept moving, afraid to find my beloved but at the same time eager to do so. I remember her: her sweet smile, the way she looked at me, the way she always tried to make me feel better when I felt sad or angry… I knew I'd never find someone like her. I wanted to make her happy, to make her forget all her sadness, to make her laugh.

Suddenly, she was there. My Rosalie kept walking towards me; she had obviously heard me. When she saw me, her face transformed: her melancholic expression was replaced by pure joy… I guess my face showed the same.

"Emmett!" she said, running towards me. I trembled slightly when she approached me.

"Hi, Rose" I said, serious. She immediately noticed my unusual attitude, and looked at me worried.

"Did something happen? It's not like you to be this serious" she asked. She knew me, of course. I cleared my throat.

"You see, Rose… I wanted to talk to you" I said, but couldn't continue. What if she refused? Damn! I should have asked Edward about her thoughts. She kept staring at me, her beautiful eyes showing concern and a little annoyance at my indecision; I knew she was an impatient woman.

"Well?" she asked.

"Rose… we've been together for, what? A year? And I…" I stopped again. Why was this so hard to say? In this moment, I rather fight a thousand bears… Rosalie raised an eyebrow, still oblivious to my intentions.

"Emmett… just say it. I won't be angry" she said. I wondered briefly what she thought I was trying to say here, and I saw sadness in her eyes. She thought I was going to finish our relationship? To reassure her, I immediately took her hand… she looked at me, surprised.

"Rose… I love you. I want to stay with you; please don't be sad. Look, I'm not as good as Edward or Carlisle with this kind of stuff but, what I wanted to ask you is… will you marry me, Rosalie?" I finally said. But I wasn't prepared for her reaction.

She looked at me, shocked, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Then, she smiled with that beautiful smile of hers that always made me feel happy. Her beautiful eyes looked into mines, and I could see love there… she loved me too.

"Are you serious, Emmett?" she asked, and her voice was shaking. I'd never seen her that nervous before; she was always so confident. I laughed.

"Of course I am, Rose! I wouldn't dare to make a joke of this! I'm sure you'll kill me if I did" I answered. She laughed, the most beautiful sound I ever heard, and threw herself into my arms with such strength we both fell to the ground, she over me.

"Yes, you silly boy! I love you!" she said. I grimaced a little at the word 'silly', but she kissed me, and I forgot everything. I sank my fingers in her long hair, enjoying the moment. Our kiss was fierce, but full of love and happiness. If I had known my proposal would have this effect, I would have asked her sooner…

"If someone sees us like this he or she can get the wrong impression, you know?" I said once we stopped, trying to tease her. She laughed again, but stood up. Damn! I was enjoying it. I stood up too, and took her hand.

"We should tell Carlisle and the others" Rosalie said, still smiling. She was so pretty when she smiled; I promised myself that I'll make her smile everyday of our existence.

"Yeah… guess so" I said.

We both walked, hand in hand, to give the news to our family.

_**You have NO IDEA how hard this one was (or maybe you have)… I simply can't imagine Emmett being serious enough to ask "that" question lol. And I don't know if I could represent his character in a good way… I'm so nervous!!!**___

_**By the way… I'd like to thank my friend Hime-chan for the dialogue between Emmett and Edward (the first one)… it helped to show how frustrated Edward is at being the only one without love… and I couldn't resist putting it here XD, thanks Hime!**_

_**And I had to put that little chat between Emmett and Edward… just so I could write Emmett's thoughts and Edward's sudden sadness :P. Besides, knowing him, he'll probably want someone to "watch his back" in case something goes wrong lol (and knowing Rosalie…)**_

_**I hope this doesn't sound so bad…too much POV's!!! /sigh/**_


	17. The Treaty

"The Treaty"

**CarlislePOV**

**Hoquiam, Forks**

**1936**

I sighed, content. We'd just arrived to this area, and I had placed the last furniture in place, following Esme's lead. She was quite good at decoration.

Now, I was outside, looking as Emmett tried to catch Edward. It was funny to see them play like this; obviously, Edward's gift allowed him to escape Emmett, but none of them seemed to care. I saw as Emmett ran towards the trees of the forest nearby, while Edward remained standing, confident. Suddenly, Emmett came out of nowhere and jumped over Edward, who simply gave a step forward. Emmett fell heavily on the floor, and Edward laughed.

"Hey! Don't you think that's cheating?" Emmett said, smiling sarcastically at his adoptive brother. Edward shrugged.

"No; you can always block your mind" Edward said.

"You know I'm not good at that stuff" Emmett complained, but he was smiling. Edward offered a hand, and Emmett took it to stand up; not that he needed it, really: he was, so far, the strongest of us. Suddenly, Rosalie appeared. Ever since she and Emmett had married, I noticed big changes in her… she smiled more, for a start, and even her attitude had improved. As strange as it seemed, they were a good couple; they complemented each other.

I sighed, enjoying the cold air. This region was perfect for us; almost all days were rainy, so we could stay outside like normal humans almost every day. I looked up, to the sky, and observed the clouds… yes, Forks was definitively a nice place to live for us. I felt a hand in mine, distracting me. Esme kissed my cheek and hugged my arm, while I intertwined our fingers.

"This is nice, isn't it?" she said.

"Yes… how long had it been since we were out in the day?" I added, already feeling comfortable by her presence. We both looked at the front, to our children. I saw as Esme smiled motherly when she saw them; no matter the circumstances, they were _our children_, and we loved them as that. Suddenly, though, my thoughts were interrupted by the scene in front of me.

Rosalie had approached Emmett, winked at him, and continued walking… she probably wanted to change her clothes as she always did after hunting. The funniest thing, however, happened next. Emmett followed her with his gaze, a curious look in his face; immediately, Edward looked shocked and embarrassed, and punched his brother playfully.

"Emmett!! Please!!!" Edward begged. That confused me for a moment, until I saw Esme's ashamed face; I remembered Edward could see Emmett's thoughts.

"Hey! You don't have to look! That's private!" Emmett added, but he was soon laughing at Edward's discomfort.

"Alright. I didn't want to know THAT" Edward said, still embarrassed.

"Awww!! Poor Edward is sooo innocent!" Emmett teased him. Edward shuddered. I couldn't help but laugh at it, and the rest imitated me… until Esme's reproachful look made us silent.

"Emmett… don't be so mean to Edward. You should keep that kind of thoughts to yourself" she said, "And Edward… you shouldn't be reading Emmett's thoughts like that. Give him some privacy" she lectured them. I smiled again; she was really a mother to them.

"It wasn't intentional, mother. I'm sorry" Edward said. Emmett chuckled and placed an arm over his shoulders.

"Sorry, mom… I'll try to behave" Emmett said, smiling. Esme and I –who had just approached them- smiled at them.

"As if that was possible…" Rosalie added behind us. She approached Emmett, and kissed him softly. "Sorry, but you're a lost cause" she added. We all laughed at her comment.

I was forced to interrupt our little moment when I detected something: a scent, like no other I had known in my life. The rest of my family tensed; Rosalie placed a hand on Emmett's shoulder, and Esme hugged me tightly… but Edward was even tenser than I was. I looked at my son, fearful, and he looked at me with fear.

"Something's coming… their minds are strange" he said, serious. Before I could say something, the scent intensified, and we heard footsteps nearby, followed by a growl. I turned towards the forest, gently pushing Esme behind me to protect her, and I saw them… three wolves emerged from the trees, each one bigger than any wolf I'd known. They weren't natural, I could feel it, and seemed to irradiate some intelligence… what were they? One of the wolves –the big one- growled once, and the small pack growled at us.

"Ha! They think they can beat us? They're outnumbered!" Emmett growled, already prepared to defend his Rosalie.

I looked briefly at Rosalie, who was trying to contain Emmett, and then at Edward. He seemed confused, and looked at the bigger wolf with some kind of understanding. My son looked at me, suddenly curious.

"They aren't wolves… but humans" he said, surprised. The big wolf growled again, but remained still, as if wondering why we didn't attack him.

"You mean… werewolves?" Emmett asked. Edward nodded, unsure. Well, if they were humans, maybe I could talk to them. I immediately placed myself in front of my family, facing the big wolf cautiously; the animal returned the gaze.

"If you are humans, please let us speak. We don't want any trouble; I can assure you we won't hurt any of you… please" I said, calm. The wolves looked at each other, apparently surprised. The big wolf growled again, and looked at Edward.

"He's annoyed by my gift" my son said; I realized he was 'translating' for the wolf. "But he wants to talk with you" he added. I saw as the wolf entered the forest… minutes later, a man came out, wearing only a pair of pants. He was bigger than Emmett, which was already impressive.

"You must leave this area. Now" the man said.

"We mean you no harm… we just want to live here in peace" I asked politely. He seemed surprised again.

"We can't allow it. We are the protectors of this place… we can't let you kill the people here" the man said. I noticed he looked at me with curiosity.

"He wonders why our eyes are golden and not red" Edward said, reading his thoughts. The man seemed angry.

"Stop whatever you're doing, leech!" the man said, disgusted. Edward had been right; his gift was annoying to him. I raised my hands, trying to make peace.

"Please, we don't want to fight… our eyes are not red because we don't feed on humans. We feed with animal blood" I explained. The man now was shocked. "If you allow us to stay here, I promise you we never cause you trouble… we won't hurt anyone" I promised.

"Are you serious?" the man asked. When I nodded, he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "What's your name, leech?" he asked.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is my family: my wife Esme, and my sons Emmett, Rosalie and Edward. May I know your name, sir?" I said. I couldn't help but smile at the way the words sounded. The man looked at us, suspicious, probably wondering if he could trust us.

"I'm Ephraim Black. I've heard from you… the men of my tribe spoke once of a cold one who fed only on animals… I thought it was a myth" the man said. He was right; I'd been here before, alone, many years before.

"Cold one?" Rosalie asked, rising an eyebrow.

"That's the way they call us" I explained to her. The man named Ephraim looked at me.

"Alright, leech. You seem different from the others… I'll allow you to stay, on one condition: never, ever, bite a human here, or else we'll reveal what you are and we'll hunt you and your family down" Ephraim said.

"I agree. On the other hand, I hope you can keep our existence secret, Mr. Black" I said. I knew it was dangerous, but I had to take the risk… this treaty meant we could stay here safely for a while.

"I agree. This will be an official treaty; we won't disturb you if you behave, and you must promise you won't cross the line to our territory" Ephraim said.

"I promise. Neither I nor my family will enter your land" I said, glad that he was wise enough to recognize we were different. Ephraim then looked at the other wolves.

"Tell the tribe that we'd made a treaty with these bloodsuckers. The Cullen family must not be attacked unless they break our treaty, understood?" he said. The wolves moved their giant heads and ran towards their village, I supposed. Ephraim looked at me again.

"I hope you can keep your promise, leech. Otherwise, you'll die" he said.

"We will" I promised again. With a nod, Ephraim walked away.

"What was THAT?" Emmett asked once we were alone.

"Am I the only one who notices the treaty only benefits them?" Rosalie asked.

"Calm down, Rose. After all, they won't bother us if we stick to it" Edward said. Of course, he could know it.

"Edward is right. Besides, they would keep our secret. We can live in peace here… and we will never break that treaty, don't you think?" I said. After all, they were worried about the humans' safety, something we protected as much as they did.

We walked towards our new home, still a little tense. I felt Esme's hand in mine again, and hugged her.

"You did the right thing" she murmured in my ear. I kissed her cheek lightly.

"Everything to protect my family" I said warmly.

It was true. As long as my family was safe, I was willing to obey any treaty. Finally, with our agreement, we were at peace.

_**/sigh/ hard one… the treaty was so difficult to write. I can't imagine the wolves talking with a group of strange vampires without attacking… hope it sounds good lol**_

_**And yeah… Emmett has a pervy mind! Lol (poor Edward)… and Esme, scolding them like little children… I couldn't help it, I HAD to write it!!! XD**_


	18. Uninvited visitors

"Uninvited visitors"

**CarlislePOV**

**1950**

I watched attentively as Esme worked on her garden. It always amazed me how delicate her touch was, even with flowers… it made me remember the way she touched me, which made me smile at her.

"What?" she asked, returning the smile. She looked so beautiful when she smiled at me.

"Nothing… I like to see your work" I said tenderly, kneeling beside her to kiss her softly.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy it, darling" she said, laughing. I remained next to her, watching as she signaled each flower by name, paying attention to her words. She seemed at peace here, just like me when I saved a life at the hospital… I enjoyed the moment, feeling relaxed by her presence next to me. I saw as her hands moved at her side, as if she was searching something…

"Did you lose something, Esme?" I asked her.

"I thought I'd brought it… Carlisle? Can you go inside and see if I let the new flower on the table? I'd like to plant it here" Esme asked me. I nodded and, after a swift kiss, entered our house.

As she'd guessed, the flower was on the table. I laughed a little at Esme's innocence; if I were her, I would never have left such a delicate flower there… Emmett enjoyed wrestling playfully with Edward and, no matter how nice it was to see them act as normal brothers, it was annoying at times. Surely, if they both were here this poor flower wouldn't have survived against my second son's strength. Luckily, Edward and Emmett had gone hunting this morning and, knowing them, they would end up searching for big game, so they would arrive late.

"Carlisle!" I heard Esme's scared voice. Leaving the flower there, I rushed outside. It was not common to hear her scream like that.

"What's wrong, Esme?" I asked her. She was standing, looking at the front with apprehension. She turned and grabbed my arm, fearful.

"There…" she said, signaling at a point in front of us. And I saw them.

They were two, a man and a woman; they were so close I could detect their scents: they were vampires. I tensed, prepared for anything… it was not common to see vampires here, and I didn't know if they were hostile. I wished my sons were here; Emmett's strength and Edward's gift could be quite useful now. When they got closer and I could see them clearly, I understood why Esme had been so scared.

The man was tall and strong, with blond hair… but that was not what impressed me: he was totally covered in moon-shaped scars. As vampires, it was not easy to be scarred; only our own venom could leave a permanent mark on our marble skin. So, the only answer to his appearance was that he'd been in a lot of battles, which only increased my fears. That could only mean he was aggressive.

But when I looked at his companion, I felt confused. She, unlike him, was short and slender, with spiky black hair. She moved gracefully at his side –even for a vampire- and seemed sure, as if she knew nothing wrong was going to happen. When they were in front of us, both stopped. I tensed, ready to fight, but the girl smiled at me, as if she knew me for a long time.

"Hello, Carlisle!" she said cheerfully. I looked at her, shocked: did she know my name?

"I'm sorry… what did you say?" I asked, still in shock. She seemed confused.

"You prefer "Dr. Cullen"?" she asked, curious. The man at her side looked slightly amused.

"No, no… but, how…?" I asked, afraid of her. She probably had a gift. Suddenly, I felt a strange wave of calm spread inside me; I felt as Esme's hand on my arm loosened, as if she'd relaxed. The man was looking at us, focused… was he doing this to us?

"See, Jazz? I told you they were different… well, which one is my room?" the girl asked, smiling. Esme and I looked at her, confused.

"Sorry, dear, but… who are you?" Esme asked. The girl jumped, excited.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry… I'm Alice, and this is Jasper. We've been looking for you" she explained, but that only confused us more. Why was she searching for us?

"Please, forgive her. I'm sure that, if you invite us in, we can explain" the man said for the first time. Unwillingly, I led them towards our living room. While I walked, I wondered why I was allowing this… I felt so calm, as if something inside me knew nothing was wrong.

Once we were inside, both vampires looked at our house, clearly impressed. I kept wondering what was happening here… they knew my name, and seemed to know how we lived. We sat on the couch, while they did the same at the opposite side.

"Well, as she said, my name is Jasper. She and I met 2 years ago" the man started.

"But, how did you know my name? Did someone told you…?" I started, but she shook her head.

"Of course not! I know your names because I saw you and your family in a vision" she explained. That was not the answer I was expecting.

"A vision?" I asked, curious and more relaxed; after all, they weren't aggressive –at least, they didn't _seem_ like that-

"Alice has the ability to 'see' the future… when I met her, she was already waiting for me." Jasper said, looking at her with love. "She told me she'd seen your family, and that we would be part of it" he added. Alice nodded.

"So… are you going to accept us?" Alice asked. I didn't know what to say… they seemed sincere, and both looked like they wanted to be part of us. But I barely knew them, was it wise to let them stay? But of course, my conscience was far stronger than my fears; I felt that, if they wanted it after all, they deserved a chance.

"Well… if you wish to remain with us, I'm sure we can try it" I said, smiling. Immediately the girl –Alice- ran upstairs, looking inside each room, while the rest of us followed her, confused by her unnatural confidence… she acted as if she'd lived with us for a long time. When she entered Edward's room, she jumped again.

"This one!" she said, excited. This one? I looked at her, wondering if she knew that the room was already occupied.

"I'm sorry" Jasper said. Unlike her, he was serious and calm.

"Don't be… do you know we feed…?" I asked. I wanted to make our habits clear to them, to avoid future conflicts –if they were really staying with us-.

"Yes. She mentioned it" he answered, while Alice started to take out Edward's things. Surely, my son would be angry at that. I could already imagine Edward's terrified expression at the sight of his beloved possessions outside _his_ room. When I felt apprehensive about it, I felt again the wave of calm, and saw Jasper looking at me, concentrated. I raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I can control other's feelings and emotions… I thought you'd like to feel calm again" Jasper explained. I nodded.

Both returned to the living room, while Alice moved Edward's things to the garage, with Esme's suddenly joyful help. She surely was already happy to have them here; she always wanted a daughter.

**EPOV**

I ran alongside Emmett, enjoying the wind in my hair. My adoptive brother and sister were slower than me, but not so much to bother me. We had fed recently; Emmett had found a bear near the area, while I convinced him to help me search for a mountain lion –my favorite-; Rosalie was content simply with a deer. Now, full and content, we were heading to our home.

"That bear was no fun… he didn't even tried to resist" Emmett complained. I already knew him so well to know he liked challenging food.

"Not all of them can be irritated, Emmett" I said to him, smiling. "I must say, though, you always make quite an impression on them" I added. He raised an eyebrow, curious.

'_Do you read my prey's minds?!'_ He thought. I simply shrugged.

"Not on purpose…" I said.

"You know? Some day I'm gonna pass that gift of yours and take you down" Emmett said, teasing me.

"Try it" I challenged him. He laughed.

'_I will… you can be sure of that, brother'_ He thought, pleased with the chat. At his side, Rosalie rolled her eyes. We were laughing, when a sudden scent filled our senses.

There was no doubt, it was a vampire. We were now in front of our home, which increased our fears. Carlisle and Esme were strong, but what if they'd been outnumbered? I heard as Emmett cursed mentally, and the frantic thoughts of Rosalie. With a new urge, we ran towards the door… until I saw something strange inside our garage. I stopped instinctively, trying to figure out what was in there. Rosalie had already entered the house, desperate, but Emmett had stopped behind me, curious as ever. I stood there, shocked, when I finally saw clearly what was in the garage…

'_Edward… is that your stuff?'_ Emmett thought, half-amused half-confused by it. But he was right: all the things I kept in my room were there, as if someone had cleared my room. I looked, angry and irritated, at the way my beloved books and furniture were there, rudely placed inside the garage.

".Happening.Here?!" I asked –almost screamed- marking each word dangerously. Emmett seemed even more amused; he knew me too well to know I was really angry now.

"Dunno, bro… maybe Carlisle can explain" Emmett said.

"I hope so…" I added, with a calmer tone. I was still mourning for the rude treatment to my things.

'_Just don't kill him before he explains… I don't want to be an orphan, you know?'_ Emmett thought, amused. As I thought, he knew me too well.

Once we entered the house, we were greeted by Carlisle and Esme… along with two other vampires I didn't know.

"Hi, Emmett! Hi, Edward! Sorry about your things… your room had the best view" one of the vampires, a girl, said to me. Wait a second… did she just KNEW my name?

Before Emmett or I could say anything more, I was flooded with images from the girl's head: I learned her name (Alice) and that of her beloved (Jasper); I saw her story, or what she remembered of it; the way she found Jasper and what she and her companion could do… she could see the future? And I thought _I_ was weird.

'_I know you can hear me, Edward…'_ She thought, so clear it seemed she was talking to me. I smiled despite my reluctance… she seemed nice. Emmett and Rosalie, at my side, looked at me slightly annoyed; of course, none of them knew what was happening.

I saw as my father smiled, pleased to see my calm expression… I wondered if the man, Jasper, was using his gift on them. Carlisle cleared his throat, and told us what I'd already seen on Alice's mind… at the end of his story, Emmett smiled widely.

"I guess we'll be a big family, don't you think?" Rosalie said, reproachful and still unsure, but her husband was happy.

"Well… we're going to have a lot of fun, aren't we?" Emmett said, cheerfully. Alice laughed at it, but Jasper remained serious. I read his thoughts: this was new to him. After a life of death and war, he was feeling happiness –ours and his- for the first time.

'_So peaceful… so calm. I've never felt so… at peace. Can I stay here? Can I really live in peace from now on?'_ He kept thinking, feeling hope in his heart for the first time, too. I looked at him, and smiled, nodding slightly to make him know he COULD live in peace.

With us.

_**Finally, the family is complete! (except for Bella, of course…). This chapter was strage, partly difficult but enjoyable to do lol. Maybe Edward accepts them too quickly? But I think his gift allows him to know them better and, in consecuence, feel more easily attached (just my opinion).**_

_**And I was laughing at Emmett's comments… I love you Emm!!! Such fun watching Edward's distress at the way his beloved possessions are thrown in the garage lol.**_

_**Hope you liked this… only one or two chapters to finish!**_


	19. Snowball fight

"Snowball fight"

**CarlislePOV**

When I went out this morning, the entire place was covered in white. My vampire eyes allowed me to see the different colors in the snow, the different shapes, the way the snow covered the trees and the ground… it was beautiful.

"Oh! It's so beautiful!" Esme said at my side. Hearing her words, my children approached to see.

"Wow! I'd never seen snow fall so fast. Even we didn't notice!" Emmett said, and Edward and Jasper looked at him with a strange expression… I remembered they could know Emmett's ideas better than I.

Alice and Rosalie were there too, watching the scenery with interest and, in Rosalie's case, a little disgust. I knew she didn't like to get wet. I looked over my shoulder to find my son, Jasper, looking through the window. Ever since he and Alice had joined our family, I'd felt quite sorry for him… Jasper was depressed. Considering his previous life, it was normal; I couldn't imagine how he had survived the overwhelming flow of hate and fury without loosing his mind.

I was worried about him, even if he seemed calm. Jasper was with us, but not being part of us… he remained silent most of the time, and rarely smiled at us. Alice had tried many times to cheer him up, but she ended up comforting him for whatever he was saying to her. Even worse, Edward had said little about his mind… even when I'd asked him to tell me. Normally, Edward was very discreet about other's secrets, but had always confided in me to tell me if something was important. Now, he only looked at Jasper, smiling kindly at him once in a while, probably in response to his thoughts. It was evident Jasper's mind was haunted by his past… but how could I help him? How could I erase his sorrow when even Alice –his true love- wasn't succeeding?

Suddenly, Emmett's voice and Esme's laugh brought me back to reality.

"Ok, snowball fight!" Emmett said, cheerful. Rosalie made a grimace at him, but Alice was already outside, running in the snow. She immediately formed a ball of snow and, laughing, launched it towards Emmett, who evaded it.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" he said, and grabbed a ball as well. Esme laughed, happy to see her adoptive son and daughters have fun… until she noticed –almost at the same time I did- there was someone missing.

"Where's Edward?" she asked. I looked inside the house and saw Edward's figure emerge, along with Jasper. The blond vampire remained serious, but looked at me kindly.

"Edward! Come here! I need reinforcements!" Emmett screamed playfully, as Alice and –surprisingly enough- Rosalie cornered him and attacked him with snowballs. Edward smiled and, glancing briefly at Jasper, ran towards Emmett.

I watched with a smile on my face as Edward hit Rosalie with a ball of snow, earning him an angry look from her. Emmett laughed, and Alice launched a ball to Edward's head, which he immediately avoided… but he forgot Alice could see what he would do, and she was already prepared with another one, which hit him directly on the head.

"Nice shot, Alice! I can't believe you actually beat his annoying gift!" Emmett congratulated her. Alice and Edward laughed. I heard Esme's laughs as she joined them… I loved to see them like this… it reminded me that humans and vampires were not that different. Suddenly, I heard a sigh at my side. Jasper had his eyes closed, and a peaceful expression on his face.

"Jasper?" I said, wondering what was in his mind. He opened his eyes, and shook his head slightly.

"It feels so good… the peace, the happiness" he said, almost whispered. For a moment, I thought he was talking to himself, but he looked at me, waiting for me to say something.

"I know… are you ok, Jasper?"I asked, praying he could detect the implications in my question. He did.

"I'm… not sure. I've never lived like this before. It's all so new to me, so different to my previous existence… I guess I'm…" he said, but stopped before saying the words.

"Afraid?" I said, finishing for him. He, reluctantly, nodded.

"I don't think I deserve to live like this, after all I've done… every time I want to smile at you, I remember the vampires I killed, the battles I fought, and I can't. This peace, this happiness I feel, what if I lost it later? How would I survive, after tasting it in my life?" Jasper answered sincerely, more than he'd ever done before. I wondered briefly if Edward had said something to him.

"Jasper… is useless to live in the past. You must let it go and move on… I know those years must have been hard for you; to feel the hate, the fear and the bloodlust of others and yours… but you're strong, Jasper, I know that. Alice believes in you and loves you, we all do… let go, son, so you can live again" I advised him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jasper hesitated.

"I… don't know how… I already forgot how it was to be like that" he said sadly, looking at the rest of the family play in the snow. I think I saw Edward look at us for a split second, as if reading our minds.

"Just let your impulses guide you… I've seen you. You want to" I said, smiling. It was true; I HAD seen Jasper move more than once, as if trying to be part of the others' plays and chats, but he restrained himself.

He laughed softly, probably amused at my perception of him. For what I'd heard from Edward and Alice, Jasper's character was not like this… he just refused to let go, afraid that, some day, he would be forced to abandon this life and return to his nightmares. He was afraid of getting involved and be hurt later. I hoped he understood my words; I knew perfectly well that he'll never have to leave. Esme already loved him as a son, Edward and Emmett always tried to include him in their activities, like brothers, and of course Alice loved him so much… we would always be there for him, and he HAD to see that, right?

Suddenly, so fast I didn't even had time to warn him, a snowball hit Jasper in the face. I managed to evade another one, but it ended up crashing against my shoulder. Alice was laughing uncontrollably, probably enjoying the expression on my face… until I heard something, a sound I'd barely heard during this year and made me feel hope.

Jasper stood up, snow still dripping from his hair, and looked at Alice intently. He was laughing, softly but clearly enough for the rest to hear. Edward looked at me, and I smiled at my son, reviving mentally for him my little chat with Jasper.

"Hey, Jazz! Don't just sit there! Help me!" Alice ordered him. He looked at her with such tenderness I couldn't believe he'd been a soldier. Emmett placed an arm over Alice's shoulders.

"Yeah, you should! You don't want your woman to get all wet, do you?" Emmett teased him. Rosalie rolled her eyes, but smiled at her child-husband.

Jasper stood there, still doubting, but another snowball made him choose. He evaded it and looked at Edward, who had already another one on his hand. Jasper grabbed a piece of snow and, at vampire speed, ran towards Edward. Of course, my son evaded him in time, just to be received by another ball from Alice… Edward fell to the ground, and Jasper laughed again.

"You're so slow, Edward!" Alice complained playfully.

Soon, I found myself joining them too. At first, there were two teams –men vs women- but, an hour later, we all throw snowballs to each other, not caring about teams anymore. I didn't remember laughing so much in my entire life. Rosalie tried desperately to avoid Emmett's attacks and stay dry, but Esme was quick enough to surprise her… I focused on Emmett, trying to get revenge for Rosalie, when I felt a ball crash in my back. I turned to see Edward, smiling softly and already prepared to attack again. Suddenly, though, a ball as big as his head hit him, with such strength he fell to the floor; Jasper appeared behind him, smiling as I'd never seen before, as he'd never allowed himself to.

"Hey, Jasper! What was that for?" Edward asked, still on the snowy ground.

"Just having fun, Edward…" Jasper said, his tone relaxed. He offered Edward a hand to help him stand up; a simple gesture, since obviously none of us needed such help. Edward playfully hit Jasper´s arm.

"About time, brother" he said, smiling. Jasper immediately answered in the same way, apparently pleased by the word.

"That sounds… agreeable" he admitted. The moment was interrupted when a rain of snowballs feel over us.

"I don't know about you, but we have a battle here!" Emmett said, and I heard as Alice laughed in agreement.

"Emmett… don't treat your father like that" Esme lectured him, but it was hard to do so when she was laughing too. I stood up.

"Well… I guess we have to counter. Right, son?" I said, looking at Jasper, who smiled at me… he had smiled more in this moment than in all the year he'd spent with us.

"I agree" he said, again pleased by the word. I saw as Edward smiled too, but I didn't know if it was because he read Jasper's thoughts, or simply because his adoptive brother was finally integrating.

At vampire speed, the three of us joined the fight again. I felt so at peace, so happy and joyful that, for a moment, I wondered if I was in heaven. Esme's laugh, along with my sons' and daughters', was so contagious and sincere I was joining them soon. I didn't know how long we spent there, playing in the snow like children, joking at each other… I was sure that, for anyone who knew us, it would be strange to see a coven of vampires, most of them more than 100 years old, laughing like small children, but I remembered then that we were not a coven, but a family… a family bonded by love, if not by blood.

I realized until then, between the snowball fight, that my feelings were not at all normal… Jasper's gift, which allowed him to control emotions and feelings, was acting on us, but this time it wasn't on purpose… he was only projecting his own.

I was feeling Jasper's joy.

_**Lol… this is a strange chapter, I know, but I liked it. First of all, I wanted to show Jasper's change, and the comfort and peace he finds in his new family. Since we never hear so much of him, it gives the impressions he's there only for Alice (as Bella states) but I think he's there because he came to love the rest of the Cullens too ;).**_

_**And I couldn't resist the idea of a snowfight! Here in Mexico, there's not much snow… I'd always wished to play in it sometime but, since I can't, I'll make the Cullens enjoy it for me lol.**_

_**Hope you like it!**_

_**By the way, there's only 1 chapter left in this… unless you want me to add something you're interested about. Just let me know! (and yes! We'll see Bella –sort of- in the next one)**_


	20. Vision of love

"Vision of love"

**AlicePOV**

**2003**

Forks was such a nice place to live… not everyday you find a place where a vampire can actually go out during the day. Sadly, though, there were not many stores here, but I could at least walk outside without caring about the sun.

My family was so nice. I still remembered with love the way they all accepted me and Jasper. I loved them; they were the only family I knew… sometimes, it bothered me, not knowing where I came from, but in days like this I could hardly feel sad. Well, I must admit Jasper's hand in mine helped a lot.

We were heading to our home. I knew Jasper loved it when I said that word: Home. Finally, he'd found peace… I knew he would. My visions always allowed me to know; ever since I saw him, I knew he was my true love; ever since I saw Carlisle, I knew we would be a family… but there was someone who could know too.

Of course, I knew from the beginning what Edward could do. He and I had managed to interact pretty well; I shared my visions with him, and he only shared them if I asked him to. I smiled when I thought about Edward… my brother, _Jasper's _brother… and, despite my cheery attitude, I felt bad for him. He was the only one alone and, no matter how happy he was with us, I could see it affected him.

I pressed myself against Jasper, who smiled at me. I wondered how my life would've been if it wasn't for him… it would be empty, boring. I felt sorry for my brother once I realized that, despite our family love, each one of us needed someone to love in a different way. I've tried so hard to 'see' if Edward would find someone but, so far, I hadn't found anything. Was someone out there waiting for him?

"Alice?" Jasper asked, noticing my change of emotions.

"Nothing, Jazz. Just thinking" I said, smiling. I loved when he showed he cared.

"I hope you're not thinking on another shopping trip. I don't think Edward, Emmett and I could take it" he said. I made a face.

"You men are no fun" I said to him… until I saw the world in front of me change:

_I was in a clearing, a place I'd never seen before. It was beautiful… full of flowers and grass…_

_At the center, there were two people. They seemed to be talking. The vision cleared, and I saw Edward there, sitting at the center, with the sunrays sparkling against his skin. He was talking to someone else… a beautiful girl with long brown hair and eyes. She was evidently human. For a moment, I panicked despite knowing this wasn't happening –at least, not now- why was Edward in the sun? why was he exposing his nature?_

_Suddenly, the girl approached Edward and touched his hand, so softly, caressing it as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Edward kept looking at her, with an expression full of love. She looked at him, mesmerized, and I could see love too… she loved him, and he loved her. Edward raised his hand to caress the girl's cheek._

"… _And so, the lion fell in love with the lamb" Edward said, his velvet voice full of emotion._

"_What a stupid sheep" the girl said, nervous._

"_What a sick, masochistic lion" Edward added, ironically._

_So this was it… Edward's destiny was finally revealed. He'll find love in a human. A strange emotion filled my body when I looked at her again… I cared for her, I loved her, and she was my friend. The girl suddenly changed before my eyes, and now she was a vampire, holding my hand while I hold hers… then kissing Edward with joy._

_Bella…_

I gasped, excited at my own vision. Jasper was at my side, watching me worriedly.

"Alice? Are you ok?" he asked. I couldn't suppress the urge to hug him. This was so exciting!

"I'm perfectly fine, Jazz! Just want to talk to Carlisle" I said. He had to know this; he had to know his lonely son was not doomed to live like that forever. Anxious to tell him the news, I practically ran to our house, with Jasper following behind.

**CarlislePOV**

I was inside my office, reading a book, when I heard Alice's voice calling my name. She seemed excited… but that was not unusual in her. Curious, I went downstairs.

Edward was there, sitting in the couch, with a book on his lap. I entered at the same time Alice and Jasper did, the latter as confused as we were.

"Edward? Do you know what's going on here?" I asked my son. He shrugged.

"No idea, Carlisle…" he said, but trailed off once Alice entered. Edward raised an eyebrow, looking at Alice. Then, he made a frustrated expression I knew very well; it was the same he used each time Alice blocked her thoughts… I remembered, amused, the last time she did it. She was planning a present for him, and spent all day singing a song in Korean so that Edward couldn't 'hear' her plans.

"Jazz… why don't you go hunt with Edward? I'm sure you're thirsty" Alice suggested. Jasper looked at her and then at Edward, confused. It seemed he was saying something mentally to Edward, for he stood up from his place and nodded.

"I guess so… if you want. After all, maybe we can find Esme, Emmett and Rosalie" Edward said. Jasper smiled at his brother and, with a quick look to his wife, left. Alice waited until they were both gone, and sat in the couch, making a sign for me to join her.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" I asked her, but I doubted it was bad… she was smiling.

"Nope. Nothing wrong… just a vision" she said, excited. I wondered what kind of vision she could have that didn't want Edward to know.

"Something interesting, I suppose" I said to my daughter. She nodded cheerfully.

"Wanna guess?" she said, looking at me. Whatever she'd seen, it had put her in a very good mood.

"I don't know, Alice. There's so much you can see…" I honestly answered. Despite my calm tone, I was curious. She laughed. "But, judging by Edward's face, it must be related to him" I added. She nodded again.

"You won't believe this! I saw him on a clearing, with a girl!" she said, obviously excited. It took me a moment to realize what she meant: Edward? With a girl?

"You mean he's… in love?" I asked, hopeful. There was nothing I wished more than to see him find love. He deserved it.

"Yes, but… you're not going to believe this… she's _human_" Alice added. That shocked me. Edward falling in love with a human girl could be a problem, especially considering his refusal to change someone.

"Alice, can you know how it ends?" I asked, unable to hide my emotions. I wanted it to end happily, but so far the circumstances showed otherwise.

"I can't see that, Carlisle… it will all depend on him" Alice said, suddenly serious. "But isn't it great? Edward will finally find love!" she added, excited again. I totally agreed.

"I think you should hide this vision, Alice. Maybe, if he sees it, it could alter the events" I advised her, but of course she knew.

Suddenly, Esme's group returned. I stood up and kissed her fiercely, happy by the news. She laughed once I stopped, but looked at me with curiosity.

"What's happening? You seem really happy" she asked. I took her hand, while Emmett and Rosalie went upstairs, probably wanting some 'privacy'.

"Come, Esme… I have something to tell you" I said. I was sure she'd feel full of joy when I tell her.

Our Edward would no longer be alone.

_**I know, this is kinda short, but it HAD to be… I just couldn't add more without ruining the main idea.**_

_**By the way, I don't know exactly when Alice started seeing Bella, or how was the vision (despite Midnight sun's visions) so I tried to do something original and came up with the meadow –and the famous lion/lamb dialogue- I hope you like it!**_

_**By the way, I read that dialogue in Spanish, so I don't know EXACTLY how is it written in English… if you see it a little different, that's why ;).**_

_**Oh, and I've decided to do one more chapter… but it will be placed in the present time, to show Edward and Bella's actual life…**_


	21. Happy ending

"Happy ending"

**CarlislePOV**

**Present day**

"So… the story comes full circle here" Bella said slowly, still shocked –I guessed- for what she'd heard.

We were at a clearing in the forest of Forks. Alice had announced a thunderstorm and Emmett, eager as always, had proposed a baseball game. For Bella, this was the first time she could actually join us in the game, so we all had agreed to my son's plan.

I saw as Edward hugged Bella gently, full of love and joy. To me, his father, it was the most beautiful sight in the whole world, only compared to my wife's face. While Emmett and Jasper prepared the field for our little game, the rest of us had remained next to Bella, telling her our story in detail. To remember those days was slightly strange; with a mixture of sorrow and happiness. Each one of us had lived our particular problems, and now here we were, happy and alive, sharing our eternal lives with joy and hope.

It had been so long since we'd talked about the past… it was weird to remember my lonely times, as I knew it was difficult for Edward, Rosalie, and Jasper to recall their dark years. But, strangely, it brought us a measure of peace, as if sharing our lives with Bella made us accept them completely. She was my daughter now, bringing my eldest son the love I knew he deserved, the chance I'd waited for him during so long…

"Thank you… for sharing this with me" Bella said, smiling warmly at us. If only she knew how much I wanted to thank her… she'd given Edward the love I always wanted for him.

"You don't have to thank us. You're part of our family now" Esme answered her, smiling motherly. I took her hand in mine, happy.

"She's absolutely right, love. We're together now, forever" Edward said to her lovingly. I saw that Esme was practically jumping with joy, as she always was when Edward and Bella were together. Bella turned immediately and kissed Edward softly; he chuckled.

Ever since he'd found Bella, my son smiled almost everyday, for no apparent reason. Maybe Bella hadn't noticed the change, but we certainly did. He was so different from the mature, serious man we'd known for over a century… of course, he smiled before, and laughed with us, but it was different. Every time I saw him near Bella, it was as if he could just burst out laughing at anything. I remember Jasper telling me that Edward's happiness was the strongest he'd felt in him. That made me happy too.

"Hey, you too! Time to play!" Emmett said, enthusiastic. Rosalie hugged him from behind, smiling. I saw that Bella looked apprehensively at the "field", and Edward kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry, Bella. I'm sure you won't have trouble now" Edward said, laughing softly. I guessed he was remembering Bella's lack of equilibrium when she was human. My son took her hand and guided her towards the field; I felt Esme press my hand softly.

"Go on… have fun" she murmured into my ear; I shivered slightly in pleasure. Before she moved, I turned quickly and kissed her soft lips.

"Don't be too hard on them" I said, smiling. She made a face, amused. We both knew they loved to cheat… surely, this game would be no exception.

We were all in our places. Bella was standing with a bat, ready to hit Alice's quick balls. Emmett, as always, was at the limit of the clearing, while Jasper and I were at both sides of it. Rosalie prepared behind Bella in case she couldn't hit the ball.

"Ready?" Esme said.

"Not really" I heard Bella say. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Bella... or I'll loose my focus" Jasper said, teasing her. I remembered briefly how, years before, he could hardly smile at us.

"Jazz! Don't be mean to Bella!" Alice lectured him. He simply shrugged.

"I'm hearing, Jasper!" Edward said loudly from his place, and he and Jasper laughed. Apparently, Jasper's thoughts were quite fun.

"Ok, start!" Esme said. Alice immediately launched a ball at vampire speed. For a brief moment, I saw Bella doubt but, seconds later, moved the bat and hit it with the same strength. Rosalie couldn't help but laugh at her shocked expression.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Bella said, excited, as she ran through the field. Edward kept staring at her, mesmerized… again, I thanked her mentally for what she'd done for my son. Jasper and Emmett had disappeared in the woods, trying to catch the ball before Bella could finish. Soon enough, I saw Jasper emerge with the ball in his hand; he quickly ran towards Bella, who was about to complete a run… Jasper jumped slightly, and managed to stand in front of Bella, who was forced to remain at the base.

"Nice run, Bella!" Alice complimented her. Bella smiled, content. At our side, I saw Emmett giving Edward a playful hit.

"Hey, bro! the game's here, stop dreaming" he teased. Edward suddenly shook his head, as if he'd just awoken from a deep sleep, and looked at Jasper meaningfully. Near us, Esme approached.

"Jasper… stop that" she lectured him, and Jasper laughed. It was then I realized he'd been manipulating Edward's feelings –again- to distract him.

I lost track of time, as it always happened when I was with my family. Bella laughed more than once when Esme lectured us for cheating… particularly, Edward and Emmett; the first one ended up reading the other's minds to know how they'll launch the ball, while Emmett kept distracting us each time to get advantage. After realizing she could actually run without problems, Bella started enjoying the game; except that time when Edward crashed against Emmett while running… I remembered she actually gasped, concerned, until she realized they couldn't be hurt. She still needed to get used to that.

It was already night when we were forced to stop. The thunderstorm was over, so we couldn't play anymore. Resigned, we headed towards our home. I took Esme's hand with a smile on my face; it was always funny to hear my children's excuses for cheating, and Esme's motherly lectures. Next to us, Edward and Bella walked slowly; he had an arm placed around her shoulders.

"So, did you enjoy it?" Edward asked. Bella immediately smiled.

"Yeah, it was fun!" she said. My son laughed and kissed her cheek. "But we lost" she added, pretending to sound sad. Edward shrugged.

"Just because Alice cheated" he said. I saw as the rest of them approached us, and Alice's outraged expression.

"I didn't!" she protested, but Edward ignored her.

"Yes, you did… how did you know what I was going to throw, then?" he asked, and she immediately looked elsewhere.

"And what about you? You were reading our minds all the time!" she said. I chuckled; she had struck the point.

"That doesn't count… it was unconscious!" Edward answered. Alice laughed sarcastically.

"Yeah, right" she said.

"Oh, stop it, you two. We all know Jasper cheated too…" Rosalie said, smiling. Esme rolled her eyes when Jasper gasped.

"Of course not! It's not my fault if your emotions are so strong" he explained. Esme laughed at my side.

"Jasper… we all know the truth" she said with authority. Jasper pretended he didn't hear. At Edward's side, Bella was laughing.

"Really… Esme was right; you're all cheaters!" she added, still laughing. Edward hugged her with more strength, and shook her a little.

"Must I remind you, love, who used certain barrier to distract Alice?" he said, amused. Bella immediately became nervous.

"No… I mean… I didn't, I…" she started, but Edward's laugh stopped her. Emmett immediately joined, and soon we were all laughing.

It was so refreshing to laugh like this. Our talk with Bella from hours ago made me think a lot in what I'd lost, and what I'd found. When I remembered all we'd been through, all we'd lived to be here now, I felt lucky. It was funny to remember that, centuries ago, I thought I was doomed to be alone; now, I had a wife, children, a family. I looked at Edward intently, happy to see him finally live a whole life with the love of his life; for him, too, I'd been a hard way… he would never be lonely again.

I looked at Jasper and Alice, laughing at each other, and remembered the way they'd entered our lives and became part of us. Jasper had finally found peace, while Alice had gained a family to belong.

I looked then at Emmett and Rosalie; they'd been a strange couple, complementing each other: Emmett's easy-going attitude had managed to heal Rosalie's wounds, while her hidden smile had managed to make him feel love.

Finally, I looked at my love, my life, my Esme. She smiled at me, and kissed my cheek. I remembered when I first saw her, and the feelings she'd caused in me… and now, after thinking she could never be mine, here we were, together and living an eternal life.

I remembered Aro's words too… when he said to me it was useless to resist, that I should be as I was. I wondered briefly what he thought about us now; surely, we were a strange coven… no, not a coven, _a family_. I sighed, satisfied at the thought… a family, united by love, by concern…

While I looked at Bella and Edward, I thought that it didn't matter how different we were; as long as we loved each other, we would always be together.

With Bella here, we were complete.

_**Argh! Final chapter!!! T-T I must say I'm not to satisfied with this one, and that I know NOTHING about baseball so, if you see some mistakes in there, forgive me!!!**__** For those who've read BD, you know what/who's missing… I wanted to write this like that so that anyone could read it, be it as part of BD or as part of my "Battle of Love" storyline, ok? ;)**_

_**I know some of you wanted me to write Bella's transformation, but I'd already wrote that on another fic and it would be kinda repetitive to do it again. Sorry!**_

_**Oh, yeah! And just so you know: yeah, Bella's hair is brown (not black) and, in the book, is "lamb" and not "sheep". I'd like to thank to all the readers who were kindly enough to correct me… I'll try to correct that chapter later ;).**_

_**Soooo… this is it. The end. I hope you'd enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it and reading your reviews. Seriously, you're the best readers ever! Thank you very much for reading and for taking your time commenting, it means a lot to me!**_

_**See you soon!**_

_**Tsuyu ryu**_

_**PS: I published this chapter as soon as I finished it, so there might be typos… beforehand, sorry!... and yes! The Cullens are all cheaters! XD**_


	22. Bonus chapter: image of beauty

_**EDIT:**_

_**Hi! Just to let you know that this story has been nominated for Best Cullen Representation at the TwiTastic Awards! Thank you very much for considering my story good enough… and please vote! You can see the link in my profile.**_

_**Yeah, I know… it took so long! But hey, I promised to write Rose and Edward's 'mental' conversation, so… here it is! ;)**_

"Bonus chapter: Image of beauty"

I… I don't want to be alone… I want to stay" Rosalie said, once Carlisle gave her the choice.

"Of course, honey. You can stay with us" Esme said. Mi father nodded, agreeing, but I wasn't paying attention… she was thinking about her 'incident', and I was seeing it with her: the man abusing her, the beating, the blood, her pain… it was too much for me; it reminded me of my darker years, when I hunted human blood.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, evidently worried. I jumped a little when he said his name; I hadn't even realized my hands were pressed into fist now. I tried to block her mind.

"No… nothing, Carlisle" I said, distracted, and looked at Rosalie with outrage and fury… for a moment, I though about going out there to chase this 'man' –if I could call him a man- Such a cruel creature shouldn't be called a man… I felt furious just seeing the suffering he'd caused Rosalie with a smile on his face. I jumped again when I felt my father place a hand on my shoulder. He'd guessed what I was seeing.

"Stop it, Edward… it must be too painful to watch" he advised me. I nodded. Rosalie looked at Carlisle, confused.

"What is happening? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rosalie asked, and looked into a small mirror near the couch. _'Well, I'm still pretty…'_ She thought, smiling. That took me by surprise… after all this, all she cared about was that she was beautiful? She then looked at me with a curious expression. _'What? Do you like me? What are you seeing?'_ she thought. I didn't like her mind: so… shallow.

"Nothing" I said with a cold tone. Rosalie looked at me with petulance, as if she was a queen and I merely a commoner.

"Please don't be angry, Rosalie. Edward can 'hear' what others think… he was seeing your thoughts" Carlisle said. Big mistake. Rosalie got furious at that.

'_He´s doing WHAT?' _"YOU were seeing what I was thinking? Without my consent?" she asked, angry. _'My mind is none of your business… stop it, now!'_ she thought. She used a disgusted tone, which only increased my anger… but I sighed, trying to remain calm. I knew my gift was something difficult to explain, or to get used to… her reaction was, after all, normal.

"I couldn't help it. Your thoughts were so… intense to ignore. I'm sorry" I said, but Rosalie ignored my apologies.

"You should control it… its really uncomfortable" she said, looking elsewhere. _'That's so rude… I can't believe this boy!_' I wished I could block her mind now; no matter how outraged I felt by her words, I knew they were true… it was rude, after all, but her thoughts were so intense I couldn't block them properly. I looked at her, furious at the way she was treating me.

"It's not that easy… you can't know how hard it is to block the voices" I said with low voice. Mi father looked at me, raising an eyebrow… he knew me well; that tone only meant I was loosing my temper. I looked at her intently, trying to discover why she was so angry at me when we barely knew each other.

'_God! Why is he staring at me like that? Like I'm a… common girl… he's so handsome… why must he be prettier than I am?_' she thought. That was it? She was angry because I was more beautiful than she? I couldn't avoid an amused expression… the reasons behind her attitude were plainly ridiculous. Rosalie noticed it, and moved slightly, uncomfortable.

'_But why is he looking at me like that? it seems he's not interested in me… how could this be? I'm beautiful… why doesn't he adores me? Maybe he doesn't like women?_' She thought, frowning, and the anger in her face increased… I raised an eyebrow, amused. She thought I was weird because I didn't love her already; this girl was so accustomed at people wanting her that she found my indifference offensive. Yes, definitively shallow.

"Please, calm down… if we are going to live together, it will be best if we learn to like each other" Carlisle said, trying to make peace, but at this point we were so angry to each other that didn't listen to his wise words.

'_Why? Why must he be more beautiful? His face… so handsome… I can't stand it!'_ Rosalie thought.

"I can't believe _that_ makes you jealous" I said. It was time to make her understand that attitude was unnecessary. Rosalie gasped, outraged.

'_How can you…? Stop it! It's annoying! I hate you! Aren't you a little bit interested in me?'_ she thought, angry. Well, at this point, I hated her shallow attitude too.

"Honestly, I don't care" I said, answering to Rosalie's mental screams.

"Well, I do… happy?" she said angrily. I sighed; well, at least she'd admitted she wanted me to adore her… but I wasn't interested. She was not the kind of woman I could be interested in.

'_Are you BLIND? Don't you see I'm beautiful? You should be ashamed of treating me like this!' _She thought. It only increased my anger: she was the one insulting me, and _I_ needed to apologize?

"Why should I be? I don't care what you think…" I said, but stopped abruptly when her thoughts screamed again.

'_You mean… you don't think about it? Each time you see your face in a mirror… you don't care?'_ she asked, as if she couldn't believe it. But no, I didn't care if I was handsome or not; my idea was that the one I loved would see more than just my face, so I never gave it any importance.

"No, I don't…" I said, trying to be kinder. The tone in her voice had sounded so sorrowful, as if she'd failed at something; I guess she felt disappointed at her failed attempt seducing me. After all, this was surely difficult for her. Rosalie looked sad.

'_At least… promise you won't tell anyone about this… please'_ she begged. It was not necessary, though; I never shared other's thoughts unless I had permission to do so.

"I promise" I said sincerely, and Rosalie relaxed a little.

"That's better… you shouldn't be arguing, you're brothers now" Esme said cheerfully. I thought about the idea, but Carlisle's mind interrupted me.

'_Maybe even more than…I mean, Esme looks beautiful like that…'_ How funny. He was thinking about my mother, but I caught a glimpse at something different. It was obvious he was hiding something from me. I looked at Carlisle, and he focused on Esme again… whatever he was hiding, he was doing a great effort not to show it again, so I focused on our new member again. Rosalie looked at them, and smiled… until she looked at me.

'_Still not interested, Edward?'_ she thought, smiling at me with a seductive expression. Yes, she was beautiful, but that was not exactly my first priority in a woman. She needed more than just her face to attract me.

The worst was that I knew she didn't even want me to love her. She was trying simply because I was the first one who didn't desire her; it frustrated her, so she was trying to prove me –or herself- that she could seduce me. I stood up, ignoring her, unable to hide my amused smile. Rosalie sighed, frustrated.

'_Don't you feel attracted to me?'_ she thought –again-. As if she couldn't believe it. I guess she wasn't used to be ignored. Her mind was getting boring to me…

"No… I'm not" I answered plainly. She had to stop this little game, it was useless. Esme and Carlisle seemed confused, but Rosalie looked at me with plain hate.

'_I hate you…you're supposed to find me beautiful, everyone does. Am I not good enough for you, mister? Am I not the girl of your dreams?'_ she asked with arrogance. I realized she thought I considered her 'unworthy'… so silly.

"You're not… is that so bad for you?" I added. I didn't mean to be so rude, but her mind was annoying me. She crossed her arms.

'_I'm sure any man around here would give anything to be with someone as beautiful as me…'_ She added, still arrogant. Well, maybe so, but I was not like any other men… I searched for true love, not a face.

"I guess so…" I said, annoyed.

'_I look beautiful for everyone'_ she added, more to herself than to me, as if she'd lost her main virtue.

"But not to me" I said, making my point clear. I didn't want her trying to seduce me all my existence just to satisfy her ego. Without looking at her again, I moved towards the piano to play.

_**Lol this was hard… I think I made Rosalie too, huh, bad? But I guessed her thoughts would be like that… after all, she has confessed she felt outraged by Edward's indifference (and the fact he's prettier than she… silly vampire lol).**_

_**I hope it doesn't sound so bad… sorry for any typos, again no one checked this before I published it.**_


End file.
